Detective Belli

A man is shot in the head in his apartment in Rome and corrupt cop Franco Nero ends up trying to solve the murder. There's a list of suspects including fashion models and photographers, a torn photograph may hold the secret to the case, and the murderer starts killing people in order to cover their tracks. Nero's journey to the truth takes him through the garishly coloured twilight of Rome's counterculture. That's a giallo plot, right?

Let's try again, look at this plot:

A man is shot in the head and corrupt cop Franco Nero gets caught up in the case due to taking bribes to carry out tasks for the rich of Rome. Nero finds that there are limits to his own corruption as he gets caught up in a never ending cycle of blackmail and deceit while clashing with the local police and trying to get answers his own way, which means heavy handed violent confrontation and terrifying some of the suspects. Will he find redemption or will his own greed be his undoing? That's a polizio plot, right?

This film is both but concentrates nearly 100% on Nero's investigation, as he runs from suspect to suspect accusing them of murder amongst other things. The whole reason he ends up being drawn in is that the murdered man is connected to a couple that Nero is asked to break up by rich Adolfo Celi (underused here, but still great). Adolfo doesn't want his son getting mixed up with some English chick, and judging by what Nero uncovers, he's right, as everyone Nero meets is a free living drug fuelled hipster, this being nineteen sixty-nine and all.

Florinda Bolkan plays Adolfo Celi's second wife and stepmother to the son in question, and it turns out her own sister's death may be part of the mystery. There's a lot of dialogue in this one and very little action, so once again the actors carry the film, even if in the end things do become a bit dull. Until the ending, anyway.

Romolo Guerrieri does however try and keep things interesting by way of very quick edits and a really stylish world for the actors to dwell in, but those expecting high-octane action or cheesy giallo murders will be let down. Another good but not great one.

An unusual role for Franco Nero, policeman again, as in many other movies, only this time he's a corrupt cop, one who works for himself, for money, for a lot of money. He's trapped in a whirlwind of crimes, committed by a fatal woman, do not say who, maybe you'll guess which one of those beautiful actresses in the cast is the one. You'll have to choose from the beautiful Brazilian Florinda Bolkan, the beautiful Italian Delia Boccardo, and another beautiful one, the Czech Susanna Martinková. In a much too small role, one of the sexiest actresses of all time, Laura Antonelli. The film worth to be watched, you'll see also the excellent Italian actor Adolfo Celi and another Italian actor very talented, Renzo Palmer. Special good music by Fred Bongusto.

A dialogue heavy murder mystery whose story is just full of twists and turns, "Un Detective", a.k.a. "Detective Belli", a.k.a. "Ring of Death", is a reasonably entertaining, competently made movie that does provide handsome leading man Franco Nero with a good vehicle, based upon the novel "Macchie Di Belletto" (translated as "Make Up Stains" in the English dubbed version) by Ludovico Dentice.

Franco plays police commissioner Stefano Belli, a shamelessly crooked individual who takes a pair of cases offered to him by prominent criminal lawyer Fontana (Adolfo Celi). The details of these cases include a provocative photograph, blackmail, and cheating partners.

One review read by this viewer was certainly on the mark when it comments on the story's resemblance to the legendary "The Maltese Falcon", right down to the final showdown when Belli confronts the killer with the knowledge he's gained. (Of course, the denouement here is one that the viewer may NOT expect.) A fair amount of the screen time actually involves Belli confronting one character after another, so it gets kind of repetitive, and what with all of the exposition relayed throughout, it does require one to pay close attention. One standout scene features Belli intimidating British model Sandy Bronson (Delia Boccardo) into giving up information by driving dangerously through the city streets.

There's a brief scene of delectable bare female skin but the scene is over a little too quickly. Still, it's nice to see an assortment of "Euro-babes" among the cast: Florinda Bolkan, Boccardo, and Susanna Martinkova (whose dubbed in French voice is ridiculous yet still rather cute). Uncredited appearances are made by the likes of Laura Antonelli, Geoffrey Copleston, Silvia Dionisio, and John Stacy. But the most fun to be had is in watching Nero play a man of absolutely no moral fibre who always looks out for number one while becoming intent on solving the cases. He's a real brute of a man, yet is very democratic about it, roughing up men and women alike.

The movie is decent entertainment overall, if not particularly memorable, and may please plans of European crime stories.

Seven out of 10.

Mixed bag

The acting is better than average for this kind of film.

And the mystery component is actually really well written and unravels nicely!

However, Franco Nero's character is such a jerk. Like he's impossible to care about as the hero because he treats everyone around him like a punching bag.

Also, the fact that his character is so clever and thinks ahead and solves mysteries, but he was somehow surprised in the end was unbelievable. That ending was truly garbage... especially compared to how well it was written leading up to it.

A typical police mystery from Italy. It skirts with the giallo genre at times but is much more of a police procedural. Franco Nero gives good value as a corrupt cop who doesn't mind roughing up a string of suspects, and indeed the film plods a bit due to the basic and somewhat repetitive construction of him visiting and interrograting one suspect after another. Eventually the mystery is solved and the usual conspiracy exposed. Middle of the road for this genre.