Crime Novel (Romanzo Criminale)

Remember Stand by Me and that trio of young, audacious swains who thought they could conquer the world with a profuse supply of Pez and heart? Think of Michele Placido’s crime epic as its sadistic equivalent. Indeed, the story commences with a motley crew of three young baby-faced street boys in search of the perfect thrill. Like watching a fat little Jerry O’Connell scramble when it’s time to flee, the opening sequence of this film makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, that is until the little wops smash a car windshield and make away with the wheels. These three impish schoolboys grow up to be three ruthless Mafiosos with an ambitious agenda on hand: take over the drug trade in ’70s Rome. While Italy smoulders under terrorist attacks, one compromised cop wheedles his way closer into the gang, spurring a trail of bloody body counts, coke-sniffing mistresses and crooked politicians who all look like Hyman Roth from The Godfather Part II. As the normal laws of la mafia play out — the rise to power, the hedonistic parties, the inevitable fall of the "family” — the film checks all of the crime genre’s boxes, providing plenty of action, intrigue and underworld mystique. It looks authentic too — from the bite-sized Fiats to the swinging bell bottoms and grease ’dos, it’s slicker than your average shoot ’em up, harder than most and it makes Guy Ritchie’s last attempt at directing look like child’s play. However, in telling a simple story based on a real-life Italian gang, it overdoes. For a storied trio of real life crooks, two-and-a-half hours are a bit arduous for the general audience. It starts off fresh, vivid and full of bite but suffers from Zodiac-itis — there’s a 45-minute lull half-way through of absolutely nothing. Fascinating is the use of actual news footage of the Aldo Moro kidnapping and the terrorist bombing of a Bologna train station. The effort is all there; it looks beautiful too, with its dark and colour-bleached visuals, and the special features work — the treat being a detailed "making of” with the whole crew in tow. Compelling stuff but Goodfellas in Italy it’s not.