The Sound of the Violin

Regularly aired with subtitles on BBC Four, INSPECTOR MONTALBANO offers the kind of pleasures often absent from British examples of the genre. The plot zips along at a cracking pace, while taking time out to examine the eponymous hero's (Luca Zingaretti's) complicated personal life. The Sicilian locations are a decided bonus, not only in visual but also in sonic terms; it's satisfying to hear the sound of the waves in the background as Montalbano tries to make sense of a complicated case involving the murder of a young woman (Alessia Merz) while in the act of making love. The plot is full of twists and turns, involving an eccentric violinist (Sergio Fantoni), a shady-looking antiques dealer from Bologna (Giovanni Vetorazzo), and a best friend (Biancamaria D'Amato) who may or may not be on the level with Montalbano. There is frequent comic relief provided by an incompetent police officer (Angelo Russo), who continually mispronounces people's names, and a satisfyingly aggressive confrontation sequence between Montalbano and his boss (Peppino Mazzotta) whom he can't stand. Zingaretti is thoroughly convincing as the inspector, while director Alberto Sironi frequently uses close-ups of his side profile to suggest a man of hidden depths who sometimes represses his feelings in favor of solving a particular case.