Friday 17 April 2020

INSPECTOR MONTALBANO/DETECTIVE MONTALBANO (IL COMMISSARIO MONTALBANO): LA RETE DI PROTEZIONE (RAI 1)

Il commissario Montalbano, the Italian detective drama launched in 1999 and starring Luca Zingaretti as the character created by author Andrea Camilleri, returned last month on RAI 1 with episodes 35 and 36: Salvo amato, Livia mia and La rete di protezione.

Written by Francesco Bruni, Andrea CamilleriSalvatore De Mola and Leonardo Marini with Valentina Alferj, La rete di protezione is based on the namesake novel by Andrea Camilleri (first published in 2017). A Swedish movie is being shot in Vigàta and Mimi Augello is in charge of watching over the actors. Actually his attention is entirely focused on Maj Andreasson, the main actress and fiancée of director Mats Brolin. Salvo Montalbano meets Monika Sjöström, a cousin of his friend Ingrid  Sjöström, who's the interpreter for the production.

At his office, the commissario receives the visit of engineer Ernesto Sabatello. The man has found in his attic a box full of Super 8mm films which belonged to his father. They include six intriguing reels showing a wall section at the same month, the same day and the same hour from 1973 to 1978, year of the death of Sabatello's father. The engineer asks Salvo to help him find out the meaning of these strange films. Two masked and armed men break into the classroom of Mimi's son. Catarella cannot open a door properly but Montalbano needs his expertise on computers and the internet.

Summer 2019 was sad for the fans of Il commissario Montalbano. First they lost Andrea Camilleri (who died at the age of 93) and then director Alberto Sironi, the helmer of every episode since the beginning. That's why Salvo amato, Livia mia and La rete di protezione are co-directed by Sironi and Luca Zingaretti. Series regulars Cesare Bocci (Mimi Augello), Peppino Mazzotta (Giuseppe Fazio), Angelo Russo (Catarella) and Sonia Bergamasco (Livia Burlando) are back. With Ketty Governali (Adelina, Salvo Montalbano's housekeeper) and Carmelinda Gentile (Beba).

Tuccio Musumeci returns as Cavalier Pintacunda (Il campo del vasaio, 2011). Also starring Carolina Carlsson (Monika Sjöström), Disa Östrand (Maj Andreasson), Fredrik Hiller (Mats Brolin), Dario Veca (Computer store owner), Graziano Piazza (Engineer Ernesto Sabatello), Mario Pupella (Gasparino Sidoti), Ivan Giambirtone (Professor Puleo), Enrico Guarneri (Police chief), Pietro Delle Piane (Marchica), Luigi Tuccillo (Francesco Sabatello), Peppe Tuccillo (Emanuele Sabatello), etc. Il commissario Montalbano is produced by Palomar and RAI Fiction.

Both fun and moving, La rete di protezione is truly brilliant. The location and costumes of the Swedish movie will look very familiar to those who know C'era una volta Vigata, the TV movies adapted from novels by Andrea Camilleri and set in the 19th century. Produced by Carlo Degli Esposti, founder and president of Palomar, and Nora Barbieri with Max Gusberti. Marco Camilli is the producer for Palomar and Erica Pellegrini produces for RAI. Gianfranco Barbagallo exec produces. Chrystelle Robin is the production manager.

Music composed and conducted by Franco Piersanti. Song by Olivia Sellerio. Cinematography by Franco Lecca. Distributed by Rai Com. Il commissario Montalbano is aired in the UK by BBC Four as Inspector Montalbano and in France on France 3 as Commissaire Montalbano. In the United States, the series is available on MHZ Choice under the title Detective Montalbano. The SVOD service will show this episode in May under the title The safety net.

http://www.palomaronline.com/
https://twitter.com/carlopalomar
http://www.vigata.org/

Salvo amato, Livia mia:

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2020/04/inspector-montalbanodetective.html

Last year's episodes:

https://tattard2.blogspot.com/2019/06/inspector-montalbano-laltro-capo-del.html

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