The film doesn’t deliver much in the way of surprises, but it’s more honest than it might initially seem.
The film only succeeds at evoking a firm sense of place and an accompanying air of alluring grotesquerie.
It may not deserve the Criterion treatment, but fans will be pleased by the solid audio/video treatment it has received.
Matteo Garrone’s gangster-as-capitalist view never softens its focus a la Traffic or turn its executions into exploitative set pieces.