Mafioso Image
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

  • Summary: This re-release of the 1962 classic mob comedy stars award winning Italian cultural icon and actor Albert Sordi. Mafioso explores the regionalisms, preconceptions, and ethnic stereotypes of Italian culture in a witty and often uproarious manner when a slightly foolish factory worker (Sordi) takes his wife on a trip to Italy to meet his Sicilian family. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Reviewed by: G. Allen Johnson
    100
    Lattuada has adapted a gritty neorealist style to suit his dark comedy and is in full command in the final half hour, when he ups the ante in surprising ways.
  2. Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    100
    A small comic masterpiece that dares to deal with that of which many Sicilians dare not speak: the Mafia.
  3. 100
    A magnificent film almost no one knows about, this hidden classic offers a wider variety of pleasures than most contemporary works can even aspire to.
  4. That's the beauty of Mafioso: that what begins as a comedy of disconnection becomes a tragicomedy of connection -- of roots that go deep and branches that span continents.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. JohnA.
    10
    Hilarious and powerful, this movie got under my skin. The more I think about it, the more I'm impressed. Alberto Sordi is unforgettable. I look forward to seeing it again -- hope for a quick DVD release. Expand
  2. AndrewK.
    7
    I will admit that I am a child of the nineties, and so my attention span is not great. But I love old films and I always try to be more patient with their slower pace. There were points in this film where I wondered if I'd be able to make it through, but something would always come along to shake my boredom. Some very funny bits with the family, especially Nino's sister with the mustache. I was surprised then at how dramatic it became toward the end. As has been said in the reviews above, the director is somehow able to transition from comedy to suspense. Alberto Sordi is great. I'd never heard of him before. He definitely reminded me of Peter Sellers (not just because he bares a somewhat similar physical appearance). This was a great film, but I doubt many young people like myself will be able to sit through it. One of the coolest parts of this film is when Nino ends up in America and he's being driven through the city. The towering skyscrapers look beautiful and are coupled with perfect music. Go see this one if you enjoy broadening your horizons. Expand
  3. This film was shot in Italy and Sicily in 1962, and considering the wonderful reviews that it has received, I'm baffled as to why, even considering how long ago it was made. The acting , storyline, cinematography, all linked somewhat amateurishly together, resulted in a hodgepodge of scenes that did little to hold one's interest, much less be given critical acclaim. Even the ending, which presumably was intended to present an element of surprise, came across as a heavy-handed admonishment against accepting gratuities from powerful villains. The film evolved much like a sketchy storyline you could expect from a children's reader, which made the adult content seem so out of place. Simply a very unremarkable film in my estimation. Expand