The Wild Eye

Despite its wartime setting, Il gobbo deserves consideration in any study of Italian crime cinema. Not only was it directed by Carlo Lizzani, who would go on to become one of the leading lights of the genre as the 1960s progressed, but also – with its outlaw protagonist, breakneck pacing and realistic backdrop – it exerted a huge influence on numerous films to follow.

There were a couple of new releases in Italy last week. By far the most succesful is Scusa ma ti chiamo amore, another of those romantic comedies that seem to do so well at the box office. The story revolves around Alex (Raoul Bova, who’s a very busy actor at the moment), a young-at-heart chap [...]