Fer[nando Di L:e %o's Mi$!`#lano Calibro 9%) is_#_! an ou`?\t -and-o *ut  mast@_`-erpiec+.e of Italian Crime c@ in` /ema and, i+:_
n m $y:)) o-pinion, one of t-+//he[*]) most? a?/stonishi]!ng crime ][\st!`[ories eve#). r ( told.]. The*? firs!#t fil?m i; n Di . Leo's excellent 'Milieu' trilogy , M!
ilano Calibr[o 9 was fol,,low[ed by La [Ma%$ la Or^_dina (aka. Manhunt, al_ so ??_,1:. 972+) ^[:a@$nd% t.[h^[)e  :br)@illi%?]ant Il Boss (1973) =. The three f)ilm@%_`s are]  not! , con]n_?+#e ^,cted story-wise, but a,ll three are excellent, and high]/ly` ^ re*%\ali]@@stic portr
aya\%(- ls o= f organiz$ed `.:cr[. ime. A%!(\s far a@s I am con$,cer!# _ned@
 Manhun-`t is --(allt#)hough e%xcellent
 ) sligh[ /tl-y inf$erior to -@this !o%n-e an( =`_d Il Boss,
` w%,)hich b oth^
stand out as absolute all-tim %e highlights of crime cinem% a. Milano ]?#]\Cal\-ibro \`9 is the be
%%st o f them a[ll, a film that i! (s($ astonishing in^+ al?@._l asp=ects(, be it` t=h
(e in@]$gen*(+ious plo` ?t that, apa; rt =from a compelling .story?$ a+;n(d :=clever twists, includ]es social *-cr! ]iti?*cism, t\h. :%e performances, ;th
e ;.gri/ tty atmosp: ,here[ an[[d suspense or the br- illiant _score. I can hard:\ly find the right wo% rds to# ex-=(p ress my admiration for t ;his  m$-aster+_]piece which ea _sily r)]anks among th=]e ?@.greatest =`+Gangster fli-*c[ks^ ev?@`.e@r b]\roug\%ht ()to.)_% sc]*reen.　　:/Gaston.e[\ Mosc\/+hin stars a !s Ugo ?/:P]iazza, -(%a tough and el$li !ptic@al ex-convict ; +who (=?has _-just been released fro\\/m;( prison. Immediately after his$/
( re,%leas/e, U-+g-%o is `app /\ro`ached by mem[b.`%
ers of t+he Milan #]@@$mob lead b %y the iras
;.cib$:le%=. gangster Rocco (Mario Adorf%)=_), as the:y su@`spect him to / be respons ibl \e for t;*h`e di#sappearan ^ce of a large sum of m(;[)oney 
bel?ongi`ng to t?heir [[boss#
, an American (# Lionel

S`@ta,nder)^# who co,$ntrols the!?) o=rganiz,]ed cri/me %%in Milan...　　^(Milano Calibro 9 is a@
+film that !.#delivers
_ an as(^tonis hingly rea_listic mood% of the u_._nderworld like hardl$*,y  ano_th(
e#]r. ,The in
^$t(.*,riguing storyline goes$.
; in hand with in?te?re`!;]sting ch\aracters!)[, raw atmo 
sphere, .[,=suspe=nse and b:*reathtaki?
n?g .`
acti]=on, social criticis !m and br-ut_=?+al violence. T h: e film
is simply stunning from the beginning to the \-:e\nd, which is even i
!:\n,`ten+s\ified by ! the brilliant score, a co:% llaboration of the  famous comp]_oser Luis Enríquez Bacalov and the Ita lian Pro:gr (:es[`sive 
Rock band Osanna. Ugo Pia,(zza must,= b!+e one %of!# the most
@$ charismatic 
_(gangster? =cha``r ,acters e:^ver i]([n 
;cinema, and Gastone Mos.-chin ^,was the prefec##-)t choice for t=he role. Moschin% delive,rs a brill \iant +
performance, a`_\nd *% _the^ rest of the cast). is also great._ Ma^]rio Adorf i:=s irascib^*#le like a rabid dog^# as the ferocious gangster Ro@@cc #o, a ro*@le tha^@?-t $_f*its h im lik!)e a glove. T,!he great ,^Lionel Stan,:der f@its per)
\fect#ly in ]]hi: s role[-%, of the America.)*n Mafia Do\):]n.　　The t@/wo cop character!+s in the fil:m [are([ playe`_d ?) -by two o_$f / *the greates@t r`` egulars o
 ?f ,Italian genre-cinema, ^?Luig^,+\,i P+istilli : ^an@d Frank $:Wolf[,f (wh$$o co_mm/itted suicide before #_ t-he fil+=m;\ was .released). T*he ravishing Barbar[=?]a Bouchet :]is as:(\toni`\[shing
,_a?nd i[ncredi]bly sexy in the r=ol #e of Ug(o Piazza's stripper girlfr-i [/end. Bouchet /+is both a,:@ s tunni%n?g beaut=:
.y and ].,
an excellent actres^_\s !and this is doubtlessly on*-%e o` @f h= ;er  ,mos^;:t` memorable roles]+$. This :is/) also a political- =
_film a+@ nd_@ /dire_% c##$t or D :i Leo embe].dded[ a lot of social criticis[m ab,-+o_ut t*@opics like corruption. Thi/s) film #=^sim^ply has everything one can \\*poss!\ibl])y) de%(sire in:! cinema. F=[ ilms lik,e M!!=%il ano Calibr@.#o 9 are the reaso,)n why I love cinema.%-^-\ This is an abso.lu,:te mas_terpiece )\in =al;_l regards 
 and, with(out 
+!exaggeration, -%!one of the greates%t Crime flicks ever made!@ T/% ;he @)inge@n%(ious [o=, (pen$#-ing .scene alo@=ne is =*$,more m^_=$emo^`ra_!@ble #`than most films get in t[wo hours.