Suburra (2015) (Italian Language)

Review

130min

Genre:      Crime, Drama

Director:   Stefano Sollima

Cast:        Pierfrancesco Favino, Greta Scarano, Alessandro Borghi…more

Writers:    Giancarlo De Cataldo, Carlo Bonini, Stefano Rulli… and more

-Synopsis-

In recession-hit politically unstable 2011 Italy; the worlds of politicians, crime families and the Catholic church collide as the dream of building a “Las Vegas” on the shores of Rome unravels in this stylish and gritty Italian crime drama.

Director Stefano Sollima has gained a reputation for directing gritty Italian crime dramas in recent years, particularly for television and with the TV adaptation of Napoli Mob thriller ‘Gomorrah’, but with a generous infusion of modern style he has dragged the European Mafia drama into the 21st century with ‘Suburra’.

Based on the novel of the same name, ‘Suburra’ is a work of fiction; but written by former magistrate turned writer Giancarlo De Cataldo and journalist Carlo Bonini, it’s safe to say that the film is grounded in a sobering corrupt reality. This is a dramatic and stylized reflection of a centuries-old systematic bureaucracy, in which the intersection of politics, crime and religion is a regular occurrence in all parts of Italian society.

Pierfrancesco Favino stars as an Italian member of parliament whose questionable connections and “extra-curricular” activities trap him in a “one hand washes the other” web of crime, violence and vice in the city which invented “quid pro quo”.

The term “Suburra” refers to a seedy lower-class area of ancient Rome where power and criminality often met, and although we get to see somewhat of the traditional picturesque view of the city; Sollima is not afraid to shine a neon light on the more garish modern aspects of the capital. By combining bright visuals with modern synth-pop sounds, this is about as far from the Audrey Hepburn ‘Roman Holiday’ view of the “Eternal City” as you will get.

No doubt ‘Suburra’ is a highly stylized mafia drama for a new generation and this might be a tedious roadblock for some audiences. There are plenty of “artistic” lingering shots and an incessant use of electronic music for dramatic effect and atmosphere, particularly with electronica band M83, a trend which has become fashionable in many recent Indie & Arthouse films.

But unlike many other modern movies, Sollima doesn’t make these choices for pure stylistic filler and there’s more than enough substance in the narrative and the performances to make them minor annoyances at worst.

The Bottom Line…

A contemporary Italian crime story with strong echoes of the past, ‘Suburra’ is a stylish and gritty European Mob drama for a new generation with a modern take on the familiar theme of corruption which seems to run through the spine of an ancient society, an alarming but captivating experience throughout.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Gomorrah (2008)

The stories of many different people in modern southern Italy are brought together by the activities of notorious Napoli crime syndicate the “Camorra”,  an adaptation of Roberto Saviano expose on the activities of a secretive clan-like criminal organisation which has surpassed the Mafia for brutality and global impact.

Directed by Matteo Garrone and starring Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abbruzzese and Toni Servillo among others.

Comments

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One thought on “Suburra (2015) (Italian Language)”

1. Cat on May 13, 2016 at 08:13 said:

   Watch this film, is beautiful.
   An Italian friend