Fernando #%D,<i Le;&>o's Mil? ano Calibro 9\-)+ is a-%(n out-and-out masterpiece]+ of Itali@;an Crime <(- cinema an`:>d,' in m y opinion, one of the >[`most _astonishi #,ng crime s,$torie`;#s ever tol ;d. The first fi`lm in Di Leo's,=< excell/_e
nt(*" 'Milieu' trilogy, Milano Calibr
 o 9 was followed by La,> Mala*$> O:rd#ina (aka. Manhunt, also 1972:) and the bril!%-lian_'t Il Bo\+ss -(>1%973^:). The th'ree films  are not connected:) story-wise, but all th ree are excellent[=\._, and highly realistic portra]yal'$he brilliant sco[r' e. I %^?can.) h%ard+[
@ly find the rig
;^ht words -/to express my adm ]ira" tion for th
`i=(s mas.>=/terpiece"@=< w
,:h&ic)h easily ='ranks among t he greate=s"t Ga+(@ngs@ter flic ;ks ever br;oug-$ h&!t t/$'ct who` h#"as just b +\een
)re$('leas>%ed^* fro] )m prison. Immediat
e/l?*y a""?fte@-r his release, Ugo ^
is appr(#oac:hed by members o
. f: the )Milan (mob l/(_ead by the ir), ascible *gangster Roc[co (Ma ri
_o Ador]f), a`s they suspect him[:& to be r\[.esp
:[on &sibl,=e for the d&!isappearance of \ a large s$>`?um of money bel,(on+ ging $t ?o t.
he&_'@ir bo"&ss, a"n A-!\merican (Lionel St"\ander) who con\"trols the organized cri ,me in Milan...　　Milano Cal) i(bro 9 i&s %>\a fil'?'m that de/*';liv<[!ers an^ !!astonis+[h)`ingly ;)realistic mo_od! of the u #nde&rworld l'(ike@ h?.ard+'$ly 
anoth_(e;r. !The int^ @ri &guing storyline goes '[i\?*'n[ hand w) ith inter;*e_sting c\)&hara*;cters, raw atmosphere],, suspense an-d brea :thtak@;&ing< action, so^c[ial &$criti,>cism and* bruta)l .violence. The f ,ilm <i&$&$s s"i<^mpl&?)y st >=un;(ning \` from the begi<>)nning to the end, which\
 is eve;n int?)ensified by the brilo great. M)
ari.o Adorf is irasc/,i!,ble lik#e /:%a (!rabid do`]*g as the feroci(ous`! gangster R=/#occo:<, a .role? that fi.=ts him like a g[love. The great L^io;%nel Sta&.
nder fits pe!$;rfec`tly` in` his role /of the A`mer!ican #\(:Mafia Don.　　The two cop ch=-aract]+ers in the?$  film;!% ar"[e play!ed by* ':;re%-gu\/<
lars of Italian gen#re(&?=-cinem=+[a, Luigi ! Pistill =i &^an!*d Frank Wolff (\who com%'mitte",d )sui[=cide before th=e fil= +m was*/ - rel_%/eased). The ravis/(= hing Barbara Bou?()che:[,t is ast ,o"^nish(]_i?.:n.;$g '/and incredi<)bly =sexy in the >ro>=!,le &of Ugo Piaz( pt+ion. Th/@,!is film simply has ev+)eryth>*i% :ng o n_e can possib&: ly de?@si<_re in ci/]_nem:& a;. Films like Mil?=[a[<no Cal@)ibr>-o` 9 ar[e -the %reason why I l],ove cinema.$); This i` ? s an=(@ a'bsolute mast ,+e%rpiece in all regards $\
a^nd,?@ without & ]exaggeration,> on: .e of *@the @%+@greatest Crime ![flick.:-s eve$(r made! The &ingenious %\.'o
pening s=(