Detective Montalbano (TV Series) Il sorriso di Angelica (2013) User Reviews

Angelica's Smile

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 19 October 2013]

This episode opens with Livia saying another man's name while she slept; this leaves Montalbano suspicious of anybody named Carlo. Luckily this particular problem doesn't worry him for too long as he has a series of burglaries to investigate. These are rather unusual burglaries; each of the victims gets robbed twice on the same night! They are all staying away from home when the robbers strike by first gassing them then stealing their house keys and their cars; their main properties are then robbed. Clearly one of the victim's friends must be involved somehow. Salvo finds himself somewhat distracted by one of the victims; the rather attractive Angelica is clearly trying to seduce him!

I had enjoyed previous series of 'Inspector Montalbano', including the prequel; 'The Young Montalbano' so was pleased when I heard Luca Zingaretti was returning as the eponymous detective. This, the ninth series, gets off to a fine start here; there is a good story with plenty of suspects; lots of laughs, mostly provided by Angelo Russo's Catarella and even a bit of romance for Salvo… even if it isn't with his girlfriend! As always it looks great; Sicily looks very inviting on an Autumn night in England! Away from the case the opening scene where Livia says the name 'Carlo' in her sleep was pretty funny although what she meant was resolved somewhat sooner than I expected… still that is better than dragging a joke on too long. Overall I thought this was a pretty good episode and look forward to the rest of the series.

Kind of complicated crime ...

[marybbloom · 7/10 · 5 August 2021]

Surprisingly in this chapter Montalbano starts in bed with Livia, his mythological girlfriend and later on he is seduced by a beautiful woman connected to the crime and is in bed with her ... This is a change in his behaviour as in all the series before he used to be faithful to his girlfriend although she was never around ha ha ..

Exotic, Atmospheric and Entertaining

[capbin146 · 9/10 · 20 October 2013]

Very different to the UK/USA crime genre. For me it is realistic but not overly gritty or cerebral.The puzzles are sensible and believable you follow along with Inspector M and marvel at his beautiful apartment on the beach and the food.

The linguistic humour with Catterela works splendidly through the subtitles. According to the translator of the books this is authentic dialect problems between Sicilian and Italian. If I had not read the books I would think C was even dafter than he is.

During and after every episode I long for a seafood salad vino and café. I settle for a cup of instant but for that short time I am transported. Contrast this with good old Insp. Jack Frost who leaves me peckish as he too is always eating bacon butties and assorted takeaways. Not the same that's why I love this show.

Has plenty to make one smile over

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 18 October 2017]

Love detective mystery dramas, particularly those from the UK and US ('Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Foyle's War', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Law and Order', 'Criminal Minds', 'Monk' and 'Murder She Wrote' for examples, and non-English/American ones (i.e. The Swedish 'Wallander' and the Danish 'The Killing') also fascinate me.

'Inspector Montalbano' is one of the best and most entertaining examples. It is not easy breathing freshness into a well-worn genre but 'Inspector Montalbano' manages to do so with aplomb. Watching 'Inspector Montalbano' is like eating a delicious Italian meal that immensely satisfies and leaves you wanting more. There may be very familiar tropes, but in a way it's inevitable and doesn't detract from the enjoyment at all.

"Angelica's Smile" has a lot to smile about with almost everything working. A great episode if not quite one of the best. The only drawback to me is Lina Perned, the second of three actresses to play Livia (the others being Katharina Bohm previously and Sonia Bergamasco later) Perned from personal opinion lacks the charm and pathos Bohm brought to the part and seems too young (being the youngest of the three).

However, one always expects 'Inspector Montalbano' to look good. As always with 'Inspector Montalbano', "Angelica's Smile" is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning, making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The scenery as always is atmospheric and the use of it very clever. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.

As ever, there is a very good mix of humour, tension and poignant human drama, with a story that's continually absorbing, tightly plotted, complicated without being incoherent and never illogical.

Characters may be stereotypes but well-written ones, especially one of the most fascinating foreign detective mystery dramas titular characters there is to me.

Acting is terrific, with the sole exception of Perned, especially from Luca Zingaretti who is a treasure in the title role, having a perfect balance of comedy and drama and playing it straight while always engaging with his material. All the other regulars turn in great work.

In summary, great episode with plenty to make one smile. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Operi dei Pupi

[DoctorStrabismus · 9/10 · 3 November 2023]

The 'Opera dei Pupi' is a traditional Sicilian street puppet theatre, which plays out the story of the mediaeval epic poem 'Orlando Innamorato', by 15th century nobleman Matteo Maria Boiardo. This is a tale of love and jealousy, set at the court in Aachen (now in Germany, and right on its modern borders with the Netherlands and Belgium) of Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, who ruled across the late 7th and early 8th centuries. At its core is the rivalry between two knights, known as 'paladins' at the court, Orlando and Rinaldo. These two fought over the affections of the beautiful Angelica.

Salvo and Livia pass one such street performance on the Marinella seafront esplanade, and briefly pause to watch. The traditional story forms a metaphor to lay the ground for the plot in this episode, and a 21st century beautiful Angelica's affections are central to it. A small coterie of extremely wealthy and hedonistic Sicilians substitute for the court of Charlemagne, with suitable levels of hate and intrigue, and a bit of violence along the way. Salvo, Mimì and Fazio find themselves dancing around all this like puppets in a show, and it takes Catarella, enthusiastically playing computer games in his lunch break, to be the stable rock around which they spin. It is through watching his games that Salvo eventually realises the clue to the whole mysterious and very misleading puzzle.

Just like Doctor Who, Livia has reappeared, reincarnated in a new identity. But this does not stop her whimsically thinking back through 15 whole years of their relationship.

Well worth 9/10.