TV
Monterossi: Season 2 – Review
“Monterossi: Season 2” finds Monterossi (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) still stuck with his producing role on the sleazy talk show he created, “Crazy Love”, that he’s been regretting since it started sliding into lowbrow exploitation. Flora (Carla Signoris), the domineering host, continues to push for the most lurid guests and topics, much to his chagrin. It’s akin to the havoc Dr. Frankenstein unleashed despite his laudable reanimation intentions. Monterossi had hoped for an “Oprah”, only to see his project devolve into a “Jerry Springer”.
The first season was six 45-minute episodes split evenly over two separate mysteries. This one covers one set of crimes in five.
My review of Season One of this charming light crime series from Italian TV, “Monterossi” will bring you up to speed or refresh your memory. This next round again delivers the goods on scripts, performances and settings.
Three bodies of successful businessmen are found in short order, each with a stone placed on the stiff’s torso. Everyone believes there must be a connection among the victims and a message in the method, but no one can figure them out… for a long time. As before, Monterossi and his pals run their own investigation, with his show becoming part of the strategy for cracking these high-profile murders. This year, there’s more running time shared with the cops who are under considerable pressure to wrap this up quickly and quietly. Detective Ghezzi (Diego Ribon), our hero’s best bud on the force, lends a welcome and endearing hand to both sleuthing efforts.
There’s a burglary ring that stirs tensions about race and class. There are a variety of suspects with an array of motives. Among the bevy of sidebars, Monterossi’s now-you-see-her, now-you-don’t inamorata Luisa (Donatella Finochiaro) pops in for a mixed-message visit. Many characters recur from the first season, plus a handful of newcomers. Among them, Francesca Inaudi’s Isabella is the most intriguing. As Carella, Tommaso Ragno adds gravitas in his larger amount of face time. An eccentric pair of hitmen add more subtle humor than danger.
Above all else, it’s Bentivoglio’s world-weary, self-effacing persona that elevates the package. He radiates empathy and integrity that anchors the cozy tenor of the series bearing his character’s name, as he wishes he could do with “Crazy Love”. No cliffhangers. If there’s a Season Three, it will be a welcome extension of time worth spending with these folks.
“Monterossi: Season Two”, in Italian with subtitles, streams on MHzChoice on April 9.
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
https://watch.mhzchoice.com/monterossi
Courtesy of MHz Choice
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