BBC4 strikes again. They are the 'go to' tv channel for international crime fiction in the UK. Unfortunately they don't have a lot of competition but I'm grateful for what they do show. Tomorrow they have the tv premiere of
Romanzo Criminale at 22.30 and it is repeated on Sunday, 8 Nov 2009 at 01:30.
Inspired by a true story, an epic crime thriller which follows a gang's wave of violence, terror and corruption from the 1970s to 1990s. When childhood friends Ice, Dandy and Lebanese kidnap a rich man for a huge ransom they decide to spend their profits on taking over Rome's criminal underworld.
Romanzo Criminale is a thoroughly enjoyable film and a very good adaptation of the novel by Giancarlo De Cataldo, although many references to recent Italian history will be lost on an international audience. Even better is the 12-part series that Sky Italia produced last year, to cover roughly the first half of the novel. Another 12 episodes are currently being produced. Whether they will ever be shown on Sky in Britain is anyone's guess.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best crime films I have ever seen but be warned it is quite long.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, Karen. Is this the same film as the one from which they showed an excerpt at that Bitter Lemon event at the Italian cultural centre? If so, it did look good.
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