Capo di Famiglia III

A crime family in the Netherlands attempts to expand their legacy, while eliminating any efforts to bring them down.

This crime drama feature is the third instalment in the Capo di Famiglia franchise, following the two previous films that were released in 2017 and 2020.

Powerful crime boss Vincent la Rosa (Mohr) seems to have succeeded in his goals. He and his family are wealthy, popular and happy and his son Daniel (Laros) is a well-known politician, who is constantly rising in his field. However, their somewhat peaceful existence comes under threat when the authorities and other enemies try to sabotage them.

The la Rosa family is presented pretty much as the Corleone family from The Godfather. Even though they are involved in illegal activities, they are depicted as decent individuals, religious, who care deeply for each other and make positive contributions to the world, only resorting to nastiness if they believe they have no other option. Generally, they disguise themselves as law-abiding citizens. Mohr delivers a strong performance as the head of a crime organisation and his role resembles Vito Corleone in some ways. He is intelligent, calm and loves his family, however he can be cunning and ruthless when he believes it is necessary. The movie bears further similarities to Francis Ford Coppola's classic, including scenes that involve a baptism, a funeral and a family celebration.

The screenplay effectively explores the relationships that the family members have with each other, and although they have their differences, they are united. They associate with a corrupted pastor (Blankenstein) and support Daniel as he climbs the political ladder. The suffering they go through as a result of tragedies reveals their vulnerable sides. As is often the case with the ganster genre, there is murder, corruption, bribery and the consequences of living a life of crime. The story is also seen through the perspective of the authorities as they try to put an end to the family's criminal deeds.

As the director of photography, Robert Schepers does a great job with the cinematography, and composer Andre Schoorlemmer provides a dramatic and appropriate score.

This movie from the Netherlands is fifty minutes long and an intriguing viewing, with well-written characters and great performances. There are many scenes that involve the family members supporting, comforting or confronting each other, making this feature as much as a family drama as it is a crime story, which is not a bad thing. Fans of the gangster genre should give this one a go.