Fog and Crimes: Series 1

Very good with a few reservations
The highs: Luca Barbareschi totally looks the part as Soneri and lends his unique flair to the role. He is a gifted and versatile actor who's as comfortable displaying the typical masculinity expected of an inspector as he is showing his softer side (although not very often). The Po river area and Ferrara are mysterious and magic, almost ethereal, and really add to the series' atmosphere. The script is captivating and holds your attention throughout each episode. This series also does a great job at capturing the rich Italian culture (the food, general habits and customs, mentality, sense of humor, etc.) and has the added merit of exploring some of Italy's social problems. The sense of humor, which is always in good taste and well-timed, brings a sense of balance to the story. Soneri's humanity in dealing with criminals and suspects is also refreshing and touching, as he often tries to relate to them in a way that goes beyond his role as a cop. Ultimately, Soneri's many-sided and...

More please!...
After Maigret, Brunetti, Montalbano and (yes!) Coliandro, MHZ Networks is bringing us Inspector Franco Soneri, in Ferrara near the Po (province of Emilia-Romagna, between Bologna and Venice). Soneri is just as good a detective as his colleagues, and his investigations are just as interesting (he is better-looking too). There is no bad language, no gratuitous violence (no machine guns!), and no obvious sex although there is some romantic interest and love-making (artistically blurred in the bed scene). You can allow your children to watch it, especially if they are learning Italian. The picture quality (at least on my TV) is not quite as good as that of the Brunetti DVDs and, except in the fourth episode, there are not many views of Ferrara (look for the massive castle and moats of the Este family; also the cathedral). The next series (six episodes on 3 DVDs) will be available from Amazon at the end of September. I am looking forward to it, and I hope it gives us more views of...

EXCELLENT POLICE SERIES
Without the usual rampant violence that appears in many of the recent cop shows this Italian police series rises above and simply shows the complete dedication and non-stop investigation by a detective who is both charming and dramatic. He latches on to a case and does not quit until he has succeeded. P.S. The English subtitles are quite satisfactory

Click to Editorial Reviews