Anime nere

ANIME NERE boasts some of the best acting that I have seen in any film from anywhere in the world over the last 10 years. Perhaps only SICARIO (US 2015) can bear comparison with this extremely high standard of acting.

Francesco Munzi's direction is also first rate, aided by excellent stark photography.

Dialogue is extremely credible, and the script builds up to an unbearable tension point without much physical action.

So why do I rate this film only 7/10? Because I expected more reaction from the target family, and I find the open ending frustrating.

PS - I decided to rewatch ANIME NERE and I have to admit that the ending makes more sense than I initially surmised. The point, trite but valid all the same, is that death is supposed to be a deterrent among crime-pursuing families, but once a crime is committed, even a minor one like stealing goats, revenge will follow, and death is no longer a deterrent but an objective.

Interesting aspect: as in THE GODFATHER, there are three brothers here, and you know instinctively that the brother who wants to stay out of crime is the one most likely to be the action man. The other two are Hamlet-like figures, who hate Barreca for killing their father but talk rather than do something about it. And any distraction carries the ultimate price, as Luigi and Leo find out.

In crime, as in life, there is always someone stronger and more lethal than you. What I initially saw as an open ending is in fact the only ending to criminal life. I change my rating to 9/10 and recommend this film.