Milano: il clan dei Calabresi

The Eurocrime genre effectively started out when Italian filmmakers started making their own versions of the 1971 classic Dirty Harry; but once that was exhausted, some filmmakers decided to delve into American crime films further and we started ending up with Italian versions of other films - and what we have here is Elia Kazan's 1950 classic Panic in the Streets fused with the unmistakable Italian styling's. The result is fantastic! This film is nothing if not intense and director Giorgio Stagani sets the perfect tone right from the word go! The film focuses on Paolo Mancuso, a sleazy pimp that dabbles in girls, drugs and murder. Naturally he has made himself a few enemies and while out one night he is the victim of an assassination attempt. While running from his would-be killers, Paolo stumbles into a medical research centre and is unfortunate enough to be bitten by a lab rat. He later discovers that he has been infected with a deadly virus and thus begins a manhunt and a race against time for the criminal to save himself.

The Last Desperate Hours benefits immensely from two great leading performances; chiefly Antonio Sabato in the lead role. Sabato fits his character like a glove and comes across excellently as the detestable sleazebag at the centre of the film. He gets great backup from Pier Paolo Capponi as the lead cop on the case. The atmosphere created by Giorgio Stegani is just great and he manages to create an impression of Milan that is as downtrodden and corrupt as the lead character. The film features the Spaghetti style that most genre fans will appreciate - the score by Gianni Marchetti is truly memorable. The plot flows quickly throughout and none of the ninety minute running time is wasted. The director ensures that we always know the central figure is on a deadline and he keeps things interesting by keeping up the cat and mouse game between cop and criminal, as well as implementing a good few murder scenes - one involving a medical saw is a particular highlight! It all boils down to a surprising, yet fitting ending and overall this crime flick is one of the best Eurocrime entries that I've seen and is well worth the trouble of tracking down!