Angela

Based on events that occurred in Palermo in the mid-'80s, Angela is a Mafia story told from a female perspective. Shot on location in docu-drama style, it's enveloped in a hazy light that strikes an appropriately melancholy tone. Donatella Finocchiaro (an unknown compared by the Italian press to Anna Magnani) endows Angela Spina with an elegant, sensuous presence. Married to the middle-aged capo Saro (Pupella), she runs a shoe shop as a front for his drug trafficking, but is invariably sidelined from key discussions. Witness to a world of macho posturing and matter of fact violence, Angela is attracted to Saro's right hand man and young pretender, Masino (Di Stefano). Writer/director Roberta Torre's attention to detail is a somewhat inconsistent. For instance, one memorable scene shows Angela lingering over the spoils of a heist, yet we learn little of her relationship with her teenage daughter. Meanwhile, the characters' highly strung interplay peaks early, and is replaced by a ponderous examination of ethical codes.