Suburra

When it comes to straight-up dramatic filmmaking, streaming shows have the edge over theatrical releases in pretty much every way.  Screenwriters can take their time weaving characters into intricate stories without the confines of a 2 or 3 hour time window.  Of course, a lot of episodes are just filler, but we take the good with the bad, right?  2015’s Suburra feels very much like a movie that was meant for the small screen; in fact, a prequel produced two years later did wind up on Netflix.  But that’s not to diminish what director Stefano Sollima manages to accomplish in his relatively brisk two hours and fifteen minutes, which is to deliver a compelling ensemble gangster drama that’s all killer…no filler. 

Filippo Malgradi, a dirty politician, sets the gears of his own demise in motion when he covers up the death of an underage hooker in his hotel room.  A blackmailer looking to take advantage of the situation is quickly “handled” by an associate, Numero 8 (Alessandro Borghi), who inadvertently starts a gang war with the gypsy loan sharks looking for revenge.  Meanwhile, a large land deal is being shepherded by the Samurai (Claudio Amendola), a well-connected figure who wants to keep things quiet until all the votes are cast in the project’s favor.  Ironically, doing so means spilling more blood and leaving more bodies in a city that’s desperate to go legit.

 

Suburra is full of many moving parts.  The description above leaves out several major characters and dozens of minor events.  But, besides the intricacies of the Italian political system, it all becomes clear as Sollima narrows the film’s focus to the impact on its multiple protagonists.  There are no obvious villains here, just different shades of gray.  So you wind up rooting for everyone as the film shifts between its cleverly connected plots.  Frankly, it’s amazing that the film manages to pull it off with no crumbs.

 

Just as impressive is Sollima’s visual approach which leans towards a noirish Michael Mann landscape of drenched neon and supersaturated colors, along with a pair of bravura action scenes in crowded public places. The son of legendary Italian director Sergio Sollima, Stefano is no slouch at finding the beauty in urban ugliness.  His camerawork matched with a moody synthesizer score drag the audience willingly into a world where only the strong survive…but no one should be underestimated. 

 

Released on Blu-ray from Unearthed Films, this one is easy to recommend as a blind buy if the description piques your interest. It’s that good. Or check out the Netflix prequel series and watch it all in order!  Extras include a 2-hour plus Making Of, production gallery and trailers.

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