The Ruthless

Renato De Maria's The Ruthless is a diverting, if derivative, Italian crime drama. Riccardo Scamarcio stars as Santo, a lifelong criminal whose rise and fall occurs against the backdrop of the mean streets of Milan. He juggles a devout wife (Sara Serraiocco) and a free spirited mistress (Marie Ange Casta) as he uses the profits from kidnappings to fund his narcotics operation.

The antic, black comic glee with which De Maria films the proceedings owes much to Martin Scorsese; particularly Goodfellas. One can make a long checklist of the stylistic borrowings or homages. There are long tracking shots with offscreen narration expounding upon the characters. There are quick dollies into closeups of characters' reactions to dramatic moments. There is a soundtrack utilizing pop songs. There is even a character tied up in a car trunk who makes a little more noise than his captors would like. Etc.

Like Scorsese, De Maria links the sociopathy of his characters with the spirit of unbridles capitalism. Santo, like Henry Hill, views law abiding citizens as suckers and dupes condemned to a life of drudgery. The gangster in these films has a raging id that cannot be contained by the superego of society's structures. Scamarcio even assays the manic giggle of Ray Liotta. He also has the onscreen energy of a Cagney which gives the film a propulsive drive.

De Maria doesn't have the cinematic chops or the judgement of a master like Scorsese, yet. The motivations of several characters, particularly the women, seem sketchy at times. A scene where Santo disrupts a performance art piece hosted by his mistress seems overly glib. A sense of deja vu haunts the movie, especially the coda which pictures Santo in exile much like Henry Hill in Goodfellas.

However, there is enough energy and and dynamism on display to let me give the film a guarded recommendation. De Maria handles his players well and creates a convincing evocation of 80's Milan. The view from Santo's downtown villa is of the Duomo di Milano, a magnificent sight which give the film elements of grandiosity and hubris. The dark comedy is biting and inventive, especially the scenes involving the "drug sommelier". The Ruthless is no groundbreaking work, but it is a solid genre piece.