blueaugust It is such a shame that such truly talented and wonderful actresses are showcased in such a horrible, terrible, poorly written, and laughable waste of film. Nastassja! What were you thinking? Ever since Tess you have been one of my favorite actors in the world, so it actually hurt to see you do this film. Vanessa? Did you need the money THAT badly? It breaks my heart to see you in a film so incredibly beneath your class and talent. Illeana. Oh, Illeana. I don't even have words. James Marsden is just awful as he completely goes over the top with almost every facial gesture he makes. Tilly is her usual self, and in this instance, was a badly needed breath of fresh air as she seemed to be the only one to get that this was a campy joke of a film. I think the kernel of thought that spawned this film was actually a pretty good idea...and the actors who signed up may have thought so as well, but from genesis to filming, something went terribly, terribly wrong.

princesscharming-1 First I want to make this clear - there are two versions of Bella Mafia out there, one is a two hour edited version which doesn't tell the whole story. What people out there in TV Land want to rent is the 180 minute one. The story of tragedy and revenge is one that pulls you in and plays on viewer's heartstrings. Take a rainy day, add a good friend and some popcorn and make an afternoon of it. You wont be disappointed.Vanessa Redgrove (Legally Blonde) is amazing in this movie, as with all the other women in the cast. Bella Mafia is probably the best performances all these actors did. Truly worth the time to watch, actually it's worth the money to own. You'll be happy you watched it.

iliawarlock Unfortunately the acting of the main characters is the only reason to recommend this film. Vanessa Redgrave was at her elegant best, but the dialogue of her role left her with little/no opportunity to demonstrate her art. The same can be said for Nastassja Kinski and Illeana Douglas. Meg Tilly (whose character was never a part of the book), provided an adequate dose of comic relief. James Marsden can be complimented on his eloquent portrayal of the unnervingly human demon, Luca.But those were the only good sides. The director of "The Last Don" did poorly with this venture, as did the screenwriters. Not only were the characters underdeveloped, but their setting, behavior, and movements were utterly unbelievable. I do not know what the director was thinking, but when the a set of four women remains unchanged and un-aging through the interval of twenty years--the viewer may well question the quality of the film. The accents, so well done in "The Last Don" were misplaced or absent here. To make a long story short (too late?), the actors struggle valiantly against overwhelming odds to do a good job in the mess of a script they must work with, but their battle is lost.

sirthomasneville The extravagant look, sunny locations and the "distant lands" atmosphere make this movie a great escape on a winter's day. Le Plante is tied by US law but succeeds in keeping the story flowing with some sweet touches here and there. Being a big Carmen Argenziano fan, there's plenty to drool over and he plays the part of an influential Don with style. Others players add little but on the whole this is an enjoyable piece.