Love detective mystery dramas, particularly those from the UK and US ('Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Foyle's War', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Law and Order', 'Criminal Minds', 'Monk' and 'Murder She Wrote' for examples,, and non-English/American ones (i.e. The Swedish 'Wallander' and the Danish 'The Killing') also fascinate me.
'Inspector Montalbano' is one of the best and most entertaining examples. It is not easy breathing freshness into a well-worn genre but 'Inspector Montalbano' manages to do so with aplomb. Watching 'Inspector Montalbano' is like eating a delicious Italian meal that immensely satisfies and leaves you wanting more. There may be very familiar tropes, but in a way it's inevitable and doesn't detract from the enjoyment at all.
"The Cat and the Goldfinch" is another great 'Inspector Montalbano' episode (as one would hope for), if not quite among my favourites. There is not really that much to criticise, though the contrived and under-cooked final solution brought things down a touch.
One always expects 'Inspector Montalbano' to look good. As always with 'Inspector Montalbano', "The Cat and the Goldfinch" is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning, making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.
Writing is tightly structured and taut, with very funny to hilarious humour (most of it centring around Mimi this time), nail-biting tension and involving and poignant human drama balanced beautifully. The subtitles are not hard to follow and the story is very absorbing and while it is a very complicated case with a potential danger of being over-stuffed it still managed to be logical and ring true.
Characters may be stereotypes but well-written ones, especially one of the most fascinating foreign detective mystery dramas titular characters there is to me and the scene-stealing Catarella (hilarious comic relief but more than that). All the characters are interesting though and Barbara certainly does make an impression on the viewer as well as the force.
Acting is terrific, especially from Luca Zingaretti who is a treasure in the title role, having a perfect balance of comedy and drama and playing it straight while always engaging with his material. Angelo Russo's comic timing is a refreshing and always perfectly timed joy, while Cesare Bocci and Peppino Mazzotta are solid as usual. Mariacristina Marocco is a more than welcome addition.
In summary, great episode if not quite one of my favourites. 9/10 Bethany Cox
'Inspector Montalbano' is one of the best and most entertaining examples. It is not easy breathing freshness into a well-worn genre but 'Inspector Montalbano' manages to do so with aplomb. Watching 'Inspector Montalbano' is like eating a delicious Italian meal that immensely satisfies and leaves you wanting more. There may be very familiar tropes, but in a way it's inevitable and doesn't detract from the enjoyment at all.
"The Cat and the Goldfinch" is another great 'Inspector Montalbano' episode (as one would hope for), if not quite among my favourites. There is not really that much to criticise, though the contrived and under-cooked final solution brought things down a touch.
One always expects 'Inspector Montalbano' to look good. As always with 'Inspector Montalbano', "The Cat and the Goldfinch" is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning, making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.
Writing is tightly structured and taut, with very funny to hilarious humour (most of it centring around Mimi this time), nail-biting tension and involving and poignant human drama balanced beautifully. The subtitles are not hard to follow and the story is very absorbing and while it is a very complicated case with a potential danger of being over-stuffed it still managed to be logical and ring true.
Characters may be stereotypes but well-written ones, especially one of the most fascinating foreign detective mystery dramas titular characters there is to me and the scene-stealing Catarella (hilarious comic relief but more than that). All the characters are interesting though and Barbara certainly does make an impression on the viewer as well as the force.
Acting is terrific, especially from Luca Zingaretti who is a treasure in the title role, having a perfect balance of comedy and drama and playing it straight while always engaging with his material. Angelo Russo's comic timing is a refreshing and always perfectly timed joy, while Cesare Bocci and Peppino Mazzotta are solid as usual. Mariacristina Marocco is a more than welcome addition.
In summary, great episode if not quite one of my favourites. 9/10 Bethany Cox