Der Unbarmherzige

Many viewers on here complain about the predictability and formulaic composition of Italian gangster films. They complain that they are unoriginal. Well, so was the Sopranos. Every plot, every subplot, character arc, drama and tension was almost completely informed by either Mob classics or Mob folklore. The beauty of the Sopranos was it's subtle parody of mafia stereotypes - and perhaps for the first time viewed as a daily drama. Larger than life gangsters dealing with everyday life made for great viewing. Essentially though, it was a dramedy. It was social commentary and skilful intricate character development.

Not every mobster flick can live up to be Goodfellas, Casino or the Godfather.

Because it is a thoroughly mined genre, mediocrity is inevitable-but that doesn't mean it's trash, or by the numbers storytelling.

Started out very good, ended very boring. I lost track of what was going on. the writing was no so good, in my opinion. Good had been much better but it wasn't.

How to rise in the Mafia ... still being moral and all about it. As with many tales this begins later and goes back to show us how our main character became the person he ... became eventually. There is violence, there is nudity, there is obviously also crime.

Very well played and confident in it's structure and timeline this is an entertaining enough watch, even though you could not compare it to the greats in the genre. But that doesn't mean you should knock it down.

The story starts interesting, great shots and has a nice Italian feeling. Especially all the typical Italian cars look great! But the movie seems way longer than 90 minutes, the second half kind of drags. The storytelling does not really explain the choices that are made by the main characters. Stuff happens, but the reasons behind it are not so well explored. The story lost my attention to some degree. Cinematography is great, the 80's vibe is present, but overall I was not completely satisfied. I hoped for more...

Too lazy today to write an extensive review today, sorry for that. But I enjoyed every minute of this well-made movie. It's funny, it shows how raw Italian society can be, nice camera work and styling, good contemporary music and fine acting. It helps if you know a little about the recent history of Italy and love the country (not just the Elelesian hills of Tuscany) to appreciate some details more, but it's not necessary. Definitely recommended!