Mafioso (1962)
96 %
Reviews Counted: 50 Fresh: 48 Rotten:2 Average Rating: 8.2/10
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Theatrical Release: Jan 19, 2007 Limited
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Alberto Sordi, Norma Bengell
Director: Alberto Lattuada
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
A gentle Italian comedy from 1962 that takes a sobering, chilling turn that would make Michael Corleone proud.
07/12/07 03:00 PM
Director Lattuada was reportedly acclaimed for his oddball tonal shifts, which Mafioso offers in spades.
07/12/07 03:15 AM
Director Alberto Lattuada's seriocomic 1962 look at the Sicilian mob lifestyle broke the omerta, providing a look at the sordidly fascinating life of the wiseguy.
05/30/07 04:13 PM
Director Alberto Lattuada balances the satirical and shocking aspects of the story on a stiletto's edge.
05/24/07 05:47 PM
Top Critic No wonder Mafioso vanished without a trace when it was released in 1962; the mordant mobster comedy was about 45 years ahead of its time.
05/24/07 01:40 PM
It feels like a comedy, and then a dark drama, and then, no, wait . . . a semicomic documentary, right? The effect, carried brilliantly by Sordi, is delightful.
05/18/07 06:10 PM
Some viewers may feel betrayed when the film’s light-hearted and gently mocking attitude suddenly turns deadly serious. I thought it was breathtaking.
05/18/07 06:10 PM
If you're curious to see the roots of Mafia-related cinema (or even if you simply enjoy a well-made, well-acted film), don't miss Mafioso, a fresh, and still engaging comedy-drama.
05/11/07 05:04 PM
The transitional gears never grind. They just keep clicking until you know you're along for the entire ride.
05/11/07 05:03 PM
Top Critic The sort of masterpiece that will obliterate memories of lesser, later efforts in the 'meeting the parents' comedy lineage. Brilliant.
04/26/07 01:41 PM
The film ripens in an unanticipated way, nimbly shifting from near farce to something quite a bit darker.
04/26/07 01:40 PM
Top Critic Mafioso may be 45 years old, but it's as bracingly relevant as anything else in theaters today. Even in the heat of a dry Sicilian summer, the film looks fresh as a lemon tree. And when you bite down hard, it's just as bitter.
04/20/07 04:11 PM
Top Critic If you crossed Meet the Parents with The Godfather and filmed it 45 years ago in Italian, you might come close to Mafioso, a black-and-white gem from 1962 whose appearance in local theaters is inexplicable but most welcome.
04/13/07 05:44 PM
Top Critic Mafioso is one of those quirky little films that grow on you as time goes by. Wonderfully shot in black and white by Armando Nannuzzi, whimsically played by Sordi and Bengell, Mafioso will remind you again why you like movies.
03/31/07 04:23 AM
...a masterpiece film that readily rivals the best modern American gangster film.
03/27/07 06:57 PM
This is brilliant, subtle acting. And Lattuada's filmmaking matches it, with his blend of neo-realism and easy theatricality. He doesn't waste a shot.
03/23/07 05:44 PM
Top Critic The black American offers a brief, sharp bit of tragicomic business that only appears unrelated to Nino's dire plot. He has no idea who he is, and even when he finds out, he's committed to silence.
03/17/07 05:27 PM
Nothing quite prepares you for the unique experience of this film. It's an offer that you ... well, you know. Leave the gun, take the cannolis. Mangiate bene.
03/16/07 02:05 PM
Mafioso may have been made in another era, but it stands as a classy, even radical rebuke to the film school posers who keep recycling the same tired gangster tropes.
03/15/07 03:19 PM
Top Critic It takes a while to adjust to its rhythm, but this is essential viewing for cinephiles.
03/15/07 03:16 PM
Top CriticRelated Forums
(1962/2007 USA RE-release)-MAFIOSO muscles into theaters 45 years after the fact???
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
(1962/2007 USA RE-release)-MAFIOSO muscles into theaters 45 years after the fact???
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
(1962/2007 USA RE-release)-MAFIOSO muscles into theaters 45 years after the fact???
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
(1962/2007 USA RE-release)-MAFIOSO muscles into theaters 45 years after the fact???
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
by: REEL_REVIEWER 7/23/07
TV Guide Review is POSITIVE!!!
by: brokenjarmusch 5/12/07
by: brokenjarmusch 5/12/07
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