Genre: DramaDirector: Francesco Munzi
Writers: Gioacchino Criaco (novel), Francesco Munzi (screenplay),
Stars: Marco Leonardi, Peppino Mazzotta, Fabrizio Ferracane
BLACK SOULS (“Anime Nere”) is a gripping morality tale of violence begetting violence in rural Calabria, that takes us on a journey into the dark and sinister world of the real-life mafia (‘Ndrangheta) in Southern Italy. Based upon the actual events described in Gioacchino Criaco’s novel of the same name, Black Souls vividly brings to life the inevitable tragic consequences when never-ending revenge and vendetta is passed down from generation to generation. The film focuses in on the Carbone family that consists of three brothers, Luigi (Marco Leonardi) & Rocco (Peppino Mazzotta) who are engaged in the family business of international drug trade, and Luciano (Fabrizio Ferracane) who has remained behind herding goats in their ancestral town of Africo in the remote Aspromonte mountains on the Ionic coast. Luciano’s 20-year old son Leo (Giuseppe Fumo) has little respect for his father’s simple ways and instead idealizes his two Mafioso uncles and their urban lifestyle. When Leo shoots up a local bar owned by a rival family, his reckless actions reignites a longstanding blood feud and sets off a tragic chain of events that violently grinds toward an inevitable bloody showdown for all involved.(C) Vitagraph
Out of nowhere and to my delighted surprise, Black Souls temps viewers into the story of cyclical revenge within the Carbone family in Southern Italy. Truly invoking the best of Gomorrah and even flirting with the greatness of The Godfather, I found Black Souls to be an alluring and powerful gangster film for many reasons…
Invoking the best of Gomorrah and even flirting with the greatness of The Godfather, I found Black Souls to be an alluring and powerful gangster film…
Why Black Souls works is how much it keeps viewers interested in the plot. Fans of high quality mobster movies and family dramas will be very engaged in the story about the trials and tribulations of the Carbone family. The case could be made that even if fans of this particular genre do not care for reading the dialogue on-screen, they will still be on the edge of their seats! Don’t hear subtitles and skip this one out. You will be doing yourself a great disservice by passing on this movie especially for that reason!
The ensemble acting is well executed in such a low key manner, it becomes sensational! Fabrizio Ferracane was the best performance. Featuring lush and exquisite cinematography, I wanted at least a dozen of these shots hanging as a picture in my apartment. Shots in dimly lit rooms were equally captivating. The herding of the goats on the beach was tranquil. With a startling and unexpected climatic ending, it is a gripping and, ultimately, dramatically satisfying. This showcases authentic Italian culture in its setting, as well. Black Souls is a little movie that packs an powerful gut punch in the third act.
I really hope that the audience discovers Black Souls. It initially played at both the 2014 Venice Film Festival and at the Toronto Film Festivals which is impressive. Currently, it screens at the Angelika Film Center in NY beginning on April 10th, and at the Nuart Theater in LA on April 24th. It should be expanding during the weeks after this in more markets. If you love Italian cinema, gangster flicks, and gripping foreign films, you don’t want to miss Black Souls.
I rate Black Souls an 8.5 out of 10.
