Leofwine_draca Director Fernando Di Leo comes up trumps once more with this excellent Italian gangster movie, blessed with an unusual and tricksy plot which is always unfolding and totally unpredictable from start to finish. Whilst the plot is different to the rest of the Italian 'polizia' type crime films, I'm pleased to say that all the genre elements that fans know and love - the music, the characters, the action - are present and correct. Snappy dialogue is mixed in with some fine action set-pieces, including an incredible extended shoot-out in a garden which has to be seen to be believed and probably inspired John Woo's action movies.Strumming guitars make up the lively score which nicely complements the on screen activities. The opening five minutes of this film are simply spectacular, breathtaking, with stylish camera-work and Di Leo's trademark explicit violence involving a woman being savagely beaten and a victim having an unfortunate close shave in a barber's shop. The film that follows is utterly involving and has great casting in form of the leading character, Hugo Piazza, as played by Gastone Moschin. Lacking the youthful good looks that Luc Merenda and Franco Nero brought to their own particular crime films, Moschin is a revelation here and miles away from his mannered bumbling policeman character in the comedy/giallo THE WEEKEND MURDERS. Playing his role understated and subdued, Moschin scores a hit with his realistic and sympathetic character, a kind of mysterious anti-hero you never learn too much about. A great and unusual leading role and one that pays off.The film involves Moschin's fortunes as he finds himself being harassed by some greasy Italian Mafia types. After his tough friend Kino beats them off, Moschin rests easy but it's not long before he has to go and face up to the godfather, played by the ancient Lionel Stander. Stander decides to re-employ Moschin to keep an eye on him, despite the fact that he suspects him of stealing 300,000 dollars in loot. This part is never explained fully but it doesn't matter. From then on, Moschin must go about setting up dangerous drug deals and cold-blooded murders until it all predictably falls apart. The last twenty minutes of this movie are tremendously exciting and end with a couple of unforeseeable twist endings that knocked my socks off.The cast is full of Italian faces familiar to any genre fans. The love interest is played by the welcome Barbara Bouchet, whose finest moment is when she gyrates in a bikini in a sleazy nightclub - the camera is there to follow every trace and curve of her body for the viewer's appreciation. Genre regulars Frank Wolff and Luigi Pistilli lend solid support as policeman and hit-man respectively and scumbag Bruno Corazzari is great as an unfortunate Mafia aide. Best of all, however, is Mario Adorf in a supporting role as psychotic gangster Rocco. Adorf would go on to star in Di Leo's MANHUNT(incidentally a movie that's just as good as this one) but he's just as good here playing the total opposite of his later character, a stressed-out, Joe Pesci type who enjoys torturing people and keeps breaking down. A great role and a nice character twist at the end there for him too.Genre fans looking for a nice bit of GODFATHER-inspired action will find much to love about this movie. Di Leo's trademark explicit violence is present in some cold-blooded murder scenes including a guy getting bumped in the bog and even the ruthless drive-by shooting of a blind man! The ending is classic stuff and as a whole the film is totally successful with only minor flaws that are easy to ignore. Another Italian classic and a film to be tracked down.

RainDogJr While I'm a huge Quentin Tarantino fan, it wasn't him the one who introduced me to the Italian filmmaker Fernando Di Leo. That would have been the usual, however this time my introduction came thanks to the twitter page of film critic Harry Knowles. He referred to some Fernando Di Leo movies as "awesome Italian Mafia movies that make the mob out to be the piece of s*** they are". I was immediately interested and later on I found out that Tarantino was a huge fan of Di Leo (and that John Woo too). So when I finally got from ebay the new Blu-Ray set of the "Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection" (with four of his films: MILANO CALIBRO 9, LA MALA ORDINA, IL BOSS and I PADRONI DELLA CITTÀ), it was just f****** great. After watching the pre-credit part of MILANO CALIBRO 9 (first film of the set) I was thinking something like "this is exactly how you start a crime film!" It blew my mind actually, and it definitely gives you a taste of how these bastards do things: is all about order and caution until something goes wrong… then is all about being the boss and merciless violence. Plus, it gives you what is pretty much an unforgettable score; great stuff and I don't think I'm going too far if I say that it is one of my favorite opening sequences ever. MILANO CALIBRO 9 bring us the story of Ugo Piazza (I'm pretty sure this name will stay with you just like it stayed with me), a criminal who just got out of prison after a four-year sentence (that was reduced to three years due to his good behavior). This film is like a giallo, with mystery all the time and an unknown red-dressed man who happens to follow the movements of our main character; is having the question "did Piazza stole or not $300,000 from a very powerful crime boss (known as "the American")?" instead of the classic giallo question of "who is the murderer?" We have some really memorable characters. Take for instance the conclusion of the film (don't worry, I'm not going to spoil you the whole thing): sometimes in movies those big plot twists simply don't work. Here we don't have that case but I really don't think the ending would have been as great as it without the -just awesome- involvement of the character Rocco (played by the German actor Mario Adorf - Rocco sort of looks like the Eli Wallach from the THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY days!). You just have to love this Rocco guy, even when he is like the most unlikeable and annoying bastard around. Even some of the minor "mafiosos" deliver memorable and fun material (like that one who helps an old man to solve a crossword puzzle). And well, Barbara Bouchet is simply a delight. While Di Leo's film didn't fully explore them, it did have some interesting thoughts on the Mafia, the illegal drug trade and even the police system. I found many similarities with the great and realistic show THE WIRE; in both we have the flaws of the police system exposed (and incompetent chiefs too), the thing of drug dealers investing their earnings in the building of apartment blocks (that thing is only mentioned here by the character Don Vincenzo, a blind old man who once was a respected crime boss) and the overall interest of some police officers to not only go after the "mafiosos" but also after the people with the dirty money. Based in all of this, maybe I should say this film is ahead of its time… but really who knows? Actually I will just say this: it's just a f****** great film! *Watched it on 7 April, 2012

Coventry No less than Quentin Tarantino referred to "Milano Calibro .9" as the absolute greatest Italian film-noir ever made, and who the hell are we to question that statement? This truly is one of the most grippingly fascinating and shockingly straightforward crime portraits ever filmed and I wouldn't hesitate for one second to call it a genuine masterpiece of cult cinema. "Milano Calibro .9" is the first installment of Ferando Di Leo's trilogy, followed by the equally mesmerizing "Manhunt" and "The Boss". The stories and characters of these films are unrelated, but together they represent the gifted director's personal and highly criticizing visions of organized crime in Italy during the early 70's. Perhaps even more remarkable than the excessive display of nihilistic violence in these movies, is Di Leo's devotion to point out the incompetence of Italy's government and law-system during that era. The country itself is to blame for all the powerful crime networks and the relentless mafia organizations it spawned, and the director will make damn sure this message is communicated clearly. But naturally, even without all the political involvement, "Milano Calibro .9" is a phenomenal film, with non-stop suspense, rough action, realistic character drawings and head-spinning dialogs. The intro alone is fantastic, as more action and brutal violence occurs in ten minutes than most Hollywood movies have to offer throughout the entire playtime. I hate to give away too much about the convoluted plot, but I can assure it contains all the necessary ingredients: treason, vengeance among criminals, strip bars, executions, corrupt coppers and the ongoing search for a stolen loot of $ 300.000! The atmosphere in this film is continuously gritty and ominous, because literally no one can be trusted and any character risks to get shot in the back at any given moment. Di Leo brilliantly uses Milan as the location for all the mayhem, and the city inexplicably plays one of the most important roles in the story, because it forms the home of the economic crisis, high level of delinquency and police forces reluctant to alter their methods of crime-fighting. The cast is awesome, with Gaston Moschin in an unconventional but masterful lead role. Mario Adorf impresses as the sardonic and relentless second-in-command and Barbara Bouchet takes every man's breath away with her sexy appearance and ravishing beauty. The sensual dance sequence she performs is only one of thousand reasons to watch "Milano Calibro .9", but it's undeniably the most convincing one.

Fpi Crime novels can be rather dull sometimes, but everyone will agree that some are simply excellent - suspenseful, totally unpredictable and with numerous plot twists. This film is apparently based upon one of the excellent ones. Both silly and intelligent viewers will be kept on the edge of their seat until the very ending, which by the way has an unforgettable quote. When a plot like this is coupled with terrific acting and world-class visuals and music -- the result has to be good.Those sympathetic to early seventies fashion and music are in for a real treat. Osanna/Bacalov's music is totally uncompromising and - in my honest opinion - worth a hundred times the entrance money in its own right. This may be the best soundtrack ever! The visuals are also astonishing - timeless in their beauty, but still with a strong flavour of early 70s. And you'll also catch some glimpses of what must be the world's most beautiful woman.In sum, all this simply makes up a classic. NOT TO BE MISSED! (Those who already own the soundtrack, which actually seems easier to find than the movie, should be advised that the movie has alternate versions, all brilliant).