2 January 2008

Ten years before The Godfather made everyone suddenly aware of the workings of the Mafia, Italian director Alberto Lattuada made light of the same criminal organisation on its home turf in the excellent dark comedy Mafioso. Albert Sordi stars as factory foreman Nino, who decides to take his proper wife Marta and two blonde daughters away from industrial Milan on a vacation to the small town in Sicily in which he grew up. But Nino discovers more about his family's past than he bargains for, and soon finds himself involved with the local Mafia, who have a job for him that they believe he is just perfect for. The first Italian film to dramatise the modern mafia, Lattuada's devastatingly funny character study is equal parts culture-clash farce and existential nightmare.

Mafioso has been announced by Criterion for a March DVD release in the US with the following features:

• New, restored high-definition 1.85:1 anamorphic digital transfer with mono 1.0 soundtrack;
• A 1996 interview with director Alberto Lattuada by filmmaker Daniele Luchetti;
• New video interviews with the director's son, Alessandro Lattuada, and wife, actress Carla Del Poggio (Variety Lights);
• Italian and U.S. theatrical trailers;
• Stills gallery of promotional caricatures by artist Keiko Kimura New and improved English subtitle translation.

Mafioso will be released by Criterion on 18th March 2008 at the SRP of $29.95.