I have always loved Dennis Farina's work, and I think he is one of our most underrated actors. I was drawn to this movie by the enthusiastic reviews of other Farina fans, and I was enthralled from the very beginning. One of the beauties of the film is its great understatedness. The dialogue plays a minimal part here in portraying where people are coming from; visual portrayal and facial expression are paramount here. Musical background is minimal, and what there is - in the form of Italian opera - is used masterfully. This is a sad but beautiful story of people in extremis, and like so many great stories - both literary and cinematic - it's a story of redemption. It's one of the few films I have seen that can be classified as great tragedies, and like all great tragedies, one does not feel depressed but cleansed. This is the great role that was meant for Dennis Farina, and he hits it out of the park. Ave, atque, vale, Mr. Farina.
Review of The Last Rites of Joe May
