SALVO

A Sicilian Mafia assassin is contracted to kill another gangs leader after his bosses assassination attempt fails. He goes to the rivals house and discovers that his blind sister is living there.The assassin has to kill the brother and the girl as she has witnessed the murder but she can bring himself to do it. When something unexpected happens to her, the assassin instead hides her away in a safe location until he can find a solution. When the boss who ordered the hit finds out, he sends men to resolve the matter.

The story of a cold man being warmed by the love of a blind woman, may at first sound a little wet and may not tick the box but stick with it. When I first read the synopsis I too felt the same, why on earth would a girl like this want to be anything but murderous to the assassin who killed her brother? Well I now feel a different view after watching. Italian Cinema has produced some of the best films of the last few years and this film is another example of the quality within the region. It is a film of power and intelligence, with excellent performances and solid film craft on display. It impressed me. I rarely say this....

The pared down visual style worked a treat as it keeps you surrounded by the world that are assassin is living in and working in. Real homes, grim factories and rented apartments with little adornment or life outside of the people within them. This is enhanced by the simple shooting style, in the sun blazing white and in the dark shadows like a modern film noir and harshly dark. Some may not like this as it does make some of the scenes about foreground and background with people obscured and out of focus. I feel that this is fantastic and is enhanced by the DVD which does pick it out well. With these elements alone it makes the scene of the murder tense and keeps your attention (it also lasts for almost 10 mins!) which is a hard thing to do with modern audiences

The acting is first class with much praise going to Saleh Bakri. It is hard to play the cold and detached type of person well. Often they are played like obnoxious monsters or self involved idiots but Bakri balances this performance just right.He feels like a slightly more communicative Le Samurai or a less talkative Leon. Sara Serraiocco is a joy and lets you into a world of loneliness and fear superbly and without it being distracting. She has the aura of a leading lady in a costume drama but with the depth and emotion of a dramatic actor. The film is a melodrama with crime elements and is a must for world film fans.