Mafioso
Metascore
88 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
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  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    100
    A small comic masterpiece that dares to deal with that of which many Sicilians dare not speak: the Mafia.
  2. San Francisco Chronicle
    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.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    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. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    91
    Mafioso does more than cast its fascinating shadow over "The Godfather." It captures, in a stark yet haunting way, the indelible fact that no man is born a mobster.
  5. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    91
    It's a marvelous performance in a marvelous movie, one that sneaks up on you while you're watching it.
  6. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    91
    The film combines farcical and sinister tones, as well as textures of high polish and captured-in-the-raw neorealism, and it simply brims with energy and surprises.
  7. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    90
    Sordi is an elegant comic actor in the vein of America's William Powell; the world may confound him, but it can never rumple him.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    90
    The movie is at once a giddy mixture of farce, satire and opera buffa and a closely observed drama of social dislocation and cultural confusion.
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    90
    Mafioso may have been made in another era, but it stands as a classy, even radical rebuke to the film school posers who keep recycling the same tired gangster tropes.
  10. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    90
    Filmed in a hot and bleached black-and-white, it manages to swerve from culture-clashing farce to alarming suspense without losing control.
  11. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    89
    This is the sort of masterpiece that will obliterate memories of lesser, later efforts in the "meeting the parents" comedy lineage. Brilliant.
  12. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    88
    Mafioso is shaped like a comedy, and it is one, but its intentionally jarring clashes of tone and rhythm are truly out there.
  13. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    88
    Mafioso is the missing link in the mob movie arc.
  14. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    88
    Mafioso isn't a straight black satire of Sicilian culture so much as a suspenseful near-tragedy leavened by the zesty, irreverent wit that helped define the golden age of Italian comedies.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. Hawke2020
    2
    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.… Full Review »
  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.… Full Review »
  3. 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.… Full Review »
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