Customer Reviews

The Palermo Connection [VHS]

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4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

An Italian-American politician, running for NYC mayor, decides to support the legalization of drugs to increase his chances of winning the election. This politician (Belushi) and his new wife (Rogers) strategically choose Palermo, Sicily as the site of their honeymoon, in hopes of impressing voters. The candidate aimed to appear as a man who valued his family's roots in Sicily. Initially, his platform, marraige, and choice of Palermo as a honeymoon site improve his voter support. However, this brave candidate meets a strong force in Palermo - The Mafia - ready to destroy his legalization platform. The Mafia, which can not afford to lose control over the drug market, cleverly places him in a compromising position, forcing him to either drop his support for legalization or face serious consequences. Rosi clearly makes his point that Palermo is at risk of losing its beautiful history, because people today only think of the mafia when the city's name is uttered. Unfortunately, Philippe Noiret (Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino) only makes a cameo appearance. Rosi had good intentions in making this film, but poor acting performances by Belushi, Rogers, and several others injured his effort. Rosi has directed several masterpieces, but this is not one of them. I seriously recommend The Truce (1997), Three Brothers (1983), and Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979).

I liked this movie! It turned me into a James Belushi fan!