Detective Montalbano (TV Series) Il metodo Catalanotti (2021) User Reviews

Karma

[raymondjpg-36842 · 7/10 · 5 July 2022]

While the plot was something of a distraction, it was the theme of Salvo's relationship with Livia that I found most engaging. I always felt that Montalbano treated Livia badly and something like an accessory rather than with any great sensitivity. It started for me when he stood her up on a Paris holiday for some croquettes offered by his housekeeper and never really recovered from that. I got the impression that he transgressed more than she did, and that she was the more constant of the two. Rather than come clean earlier about the state of affairs it appeared that Salvo needed the impetus of falling for a woman maybe 20 years younger to be honest with Livia in calling an end to their long standing relationship.

Maybe because he is getting on in years and a victim of what he has in the past accused Mimi of, losing his mind over a pretty girl. At first I thought that Antonia would come to regret her decision to stay, but then on reflection it seemed more likely that it might be Salvo who would struggle to survive this liaison in the long run.

Sad finale

[chris-chanona · 6/10 · 3 July 2022]

Montalbano gets off with someone young enough to be his daughter. Both selfish. Sad ending and Salvo did not deserve Livia. Weak crime story too.

I have loved this over the years so ending was so out of character.

Bye Vigata!!!

[kendiaman · 5/10 · 17 July 2022]

I'm already missing Salvo and friends!

Many unforgettable characters, Mimi, Fazio, Ingrid, Catarella, Livia, etc.

And Sicily, of course.

Farewell!!!

It's true, the last episode is subpar, well, of a lesser quality than the rest, but anyways, we had more than 20 years together!

Not the best endIng to a series.

[jimemdoyle · 6/10 · 14 August 2022]

I've been a longtime admirer of the this series since it's inception. I'm fully aware of the difficulty in pleasing fans with the ending of successful series.

The episode is flawed but still enjoyable, I would rate it fairly low as a stand alone episode but apart from killing him off I fail to see how you could please a majority of us. It left us wanting more and reliably left the viewer asking many questions, as it should. I wish I could rate it higher but the plot drifted and lacked direction. I actually liked the ending, I feel it was fitting, sadly it was the case that just doesn't have the same flow we have come to expect. I watched it not knowing it was the finally, I desperately searched to see when the next episode would be, gutted but not angry, too many great memories. It could of been as bad as GOT ending so people need to get over it.

A sublime finish to a much-loved series

[DoctorStrabismus · 10/10 · 31 December 2023]

All good things must come to an end, and as an ending to a beloved series, this has it all.

I write this having now seen the entire series, and the prequel, twice over, picking up so many things which were missed first time round, and in this episode the immaculately acted body language between Salvo and Antonia was perfection.

Maybe those who have decried it here with negative reviews were not really watching too closely, or wanted some kind of a Hollywood ending, and of course from here on I have to fill it with spoilers.

Some make rubbish comments about the age difference between Salvo and Antonia, saying he was twice her age, or old enough to be her father. They totally ignore that fact that Antonia was played by a woman of 44, and Salvo by a man of 59. In fact my wife and I were not far different from those two ages when we first got together, and our marriage has worked wonderfully for two decades. So why should Salvo and Antonia not find mutual attraction?

Some say Livia gets a rough deal, but she made herself into self-dumping baggage, and in the end she was the one who suggested during a phone call that they should end the relationship. She dumped herself, he didn't dump her.

Right from episode 1, with the whole François story, and her instant desire to adopt him, regardless of Salvo's opinion on the matter, it was clear that she was not on the same page as him, and as time progressed we became more convinced that she never would be. As he says here, the passion had vanished, and to try and keep a long-distance relationship going without that is all but impossible. Salvo is so much a part of Sicily, and Sicily so much a part of Salvo, that remaining so firmly anchored in Boccadasse was never going to be the answer for Livia.

And Salvo was tired. He acted so tired, and he ultimately said so to Mimì and Fazio, and surprised them both with the words. He simply couldn't go on the way things were. In the end Livia was the one element which was wearing him out, he had not an ounce more energy for the relationship, and it had to go.

The ending with Antonia was perfect. No promise of a happy-ever-after future, but no denial of its clear possibility.

Oh yes, and the plot. A theatrical plot about the theatre to end a most theatrical detective series.

It centres around an amateur production of 'Dangerous Corner' by JB Priestley, a 1930s play exploring the theme that what is said cannot be unsaid. Maybe Livia should have seen it. Agatha Christie also gets a casual mention, so it is all very literary.

I expect that before not too many years have elapsed, my wife and I will watch these all over again, and be no less enchanted time after time, and still love this final sublime episode.

The perfect ten!

Very poor ending to a wonderful series

[bmesser · 2/10 · 4 July 2022]

It looks like they've rushed this final episode out and to me it's ruined the complete series. How he ditched Livia on the phone is totally out of character to the brave Montalbano we've become used to in the previous 36 episodes. The story was theatrical in more than one way and even Mimi was back to his old ways. Catarella only crashed into the door once and Fazio only made brief appearances. Montalbano fell like a 14 year school boy for a girl half his age. None of it worked for me. I think they filmed it in winter in the middle of the second COVID lock down. Perhaps that's why it was short on cast.

Wonderful series but very disappointing last episode.

[splendorofflorence · 10/10 · 1 May 2022]

I loved the Montalbano series and I've watched it over and over. The acting is superb and the characters are so wonderful. The last episode was extremely disappointing, to say the least. Montalbano was always a strong, feisty, sensitive character throughout the episodes and to see him immediately fall for this younger woman and aggressively pursue her was completely out of character. Why did the writers decide to close the series with him looking weak and going through a mid-life crises. While that might be reality, it's not what we want to see when we watch these programs. It was a very strange ending to a wonderful series. I wish there were more episodes. I miss my Vigata family!!!

Ending unworthy of the series

[moggie48-380-319572 · 4/10 · 16 July 2021]

I've watched all the episodes (own them) multiple times except this one, and I won't bother watching again. . Luca Zingaretti is a wonderful actor, Montalbano a likable, if flawed, character. In this episode he throws his friends out of his house in the middle of dinner, lies to and cheats on and dumps Livia, and acts like a lovesick puppy with a much younger woman. A cad, a bounder, as the Brits would say. Not the way this wonderful creation of Camilleri Should be remembered. I doubt ge wrote this one. .

So sorry this is the finale

[Vindelander · 8/10 · 3 July 2022]

I'll miss this atmospheric series enormously. The stories are always terribly weak and quirky but I've got so used to the characters and their individual stories.

The last episode follows the same format but there's a surprising and not totally welcome twist. Well worth watching.

It's like saying goodbye to an old friend.

A Truly Misfiring Finale

[xris-89911 · 3/10 · 2 July 2022]

I have most episodes on DVD and totally immerse myself in the idyllic landscapes, the absorbing and sometimes amusing characters and the well crafted storylines on an escapist 90 minutes at weekends. Waiting to see the final episode I avoided reviews for an eternity and tonight, at last, got to see it on BBC 4.

What a let down. It seemed all over the place with no real plot or direction. It came across like edited outtakes tacked together, an partially incoherent and unrealistic storyline. It seemed completely more taken with trading in one girlfriend for another. The last Livia incarnation was a more mellow portrayal by actress Sonia Bergamasco, who played a better character balance for our Inspector. Enter a younger woman and then ride into the sunset together, and not a word to Livia up north. I'm sorry but a poor and weak last episode, one which won't be in my treasured Montalbano DVD collection. Do yourself a favour and stop at Series 14, Episode 2 - La Rete di Protezione and call it a day. Positive memories only.

A MOVING AND POWERFUL CODA

[marklyn50 · 10/10 · 3 July 2022]

Anyone who has a feeling for, or understanding of Sicilian culture, will be aware of the deep reverence and love in which the Art of Theatre is held in Sicily. In this final episode they pay fulsome tribute to that glorious tradition, well aware that this coda had to be more than just a murder mystery.

Direction, acting and cinematography is superb as always, with excellent performances from the supporting cast as well as the lead players. The makers pay tribute to Shakespeare and Agatha Christie and by extension their British fans, who like all Montalbano afiionados will sorely miss this superb series.

Far to many pauses script poor

[writeon-87275 · 4/10 · 9 July 2022]

This was a very strange episode...all over the place...Salvo's infatuation for the young forensic scientist and looking vague with too many pauses throughout.

A weird guy who had power over his cast members...and made them do "Trials"...eh whaaaaat !!!

Some really weird stuff ..totally ridiculous plot.. Wax dummy that sidekick didnt spot wasn't real.

C'mon who wrote this garbage.

I like black humour but this verged on insanity...and finally...two things Salvo ends livia by phone ..eh what !!

And instead of double bluffing us with the girl disappearing into the distance on the train after saying goodbye to Salvo..

what did the writers do....

.. The obvious that any fool knew was coming and could have worked out..namely... she got off the train to be with Salvo...everybody ..aaah..what a load of crock..earlier she made it very clear she wanted to be single..also she was going to a better job...I think they made this episode deliberately so bad that viewers and fans would never want another one...poor show...is all I can say ..going out with a wimper.

Ps...only feeble excuse I can give is the fact covid was still going strong when they filmed it..so maybe had to make adjustments to suit and maybe had problems...but still had a writing time schedule to stick too. Still.. a poor ending episode to a great series.

A perfect ending, since all things end.

[demodokos · 10/10 · 15 September 2023]

One's reaction to this depends upon an understanding of the character of Livia. If you read the books, which are the essence of these stories, she is essentially comic relief, a plastic foil to Montalbano. She is a self-centered one-dimensional whiner and reading the books, Montalbano's simultaneos blessing & fault is not dumping her after the first story-- but our author realizes she works as a foil. So, here in the last episode we grant Montalbano the happiness he couldn't ever get with Livia (any of the three of them) and cast her onto the character trash heap. How satisfying! My only regret is that this didn't happen in Episode 2 instead of 37.

Very disappointing last episde

[jpcnewc · 3/10 · 26 May 2022]

Over theatrical, gets lost, darkly lit, drifts and drags, silly.

It seems over indulgent with theatrical references and performances, perhaps thespians might love.

Plot all over the place and implausible.

What happened to the humour and the wonderful Sicilian locations and country side?

Not even the actors seem happy.

I have visited most of these locations and read the books but this is a very very sad final episode.

Hooray for Montalbano

[teatag · 8/10 · 20 May 2024]

Why were so many reviewers (and viewers, presumably) so disappointed by the end of Salvo and Livia's long-running, long-distance, and increasingly boring relationship. It was past due to be put out of its misery. And, to correct one reviewer, the actress who played the character with whom Salvo suddenly (but not inexplicably) falls in love wasn't 44 when the episode was released. She (Greta Scarano) was 37, to Luca Zingaretti's 60. (The 44-year-old actress, Antonia Truppo, played the murderess.) It is quite understandable that a character mired in a boring relationship would jettison it for the promise of an exciting one.

As for the plot of the episode, which many reviewers also criticize, I found it no more arcane or implausible than the plots of many of the other episodes in the series. The murdered character, Carmelo Catalanotti, was as believable as the villain of any melodrama. The plot of the episode was no more convoluted or unbelievable than the plots of many other episodes.

This enjoyable series -- and its prequel, The Young Montalbono -- delivered many an enjoyable evening's viewing. The end -- or was it the beginning? -- seemed just right to me.

A betrayal to a much loved series

[giannina-2 · 2/10 · 5 July 2022]

The Montalbano in this last eps is unrecognisable; he doesn't enjoy any of the qualities for which we fell in love with him- it is a real shame that this callous eps is the last- it leaves a bad taste.

The Catalanotti Method

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 5 July 2022]

This, the final episode in the long running series, opens with Inspector Montalbano being woken by Mimi. He is in a distressed state. He explains how, after climbing out of a lady's window to avoid her husband, he discovered a body in the apartment below... how will they let it be discovered without making it clear he'd been there before. It looks as though the problem is over when a body is reported, until they learn it is at a different address. The dead man was the director of a local amateur theatrical group; he also had a side-line as a money lender. Away from the case Salvo finds himself attracted to the attractive new scene of crime officer.

I've enjoyed this series since it started airing here a little over ten years ago, enough to have watched most episodes more than once, so it was sad to learn that this was to be the final case for Salvo Montalbano and his team. The story started well with some amusingly typical misbehaviour from Mimi. It then progresses well with various suspects and motives emerging. The episode features the expected gentle humour and lovely Sicilian scenery. As always the performances are impressive; both from regulars and guests. My only real quibbles with the episode are that Catarella's appearances were fairly minimal, it would have been nice to see more of this great character in the final episode, and Salvo's infatuation with somebody other than his girlfriend Livia. The conclusion felt less final than I expected so we can imagine the team continuing even if we don't get to see their cases. Overall I thought this was a solid send off for this great series.

These comments are based on watching the episode in Italian with English subtitles.

Disappointing (very!!)

[Monasty · 1/10 · 19 December 2022]

I agree with most of the reviews. The ending to a great series is so unexpected and not really convincing. Montalbano's personality has completely changed. He went from a dignified, reliable, honorable, honest, caring man to a spineless, rude and sleazy man who dumps his longtime girlfriend over the phone (really?!) and crawls and drools over a girl young enough to be his daughter. The mentioned girl is a story in itself, she is not exactly the head turner and has an irritating personality. His U-Turn spins away from what would have been both relatable and realistic and is about as likely as Hannibal Lector becoming Mother Teresa.

How to destroy the perfect series.

[letess · 1/10 · 7 July 2021]

There were two more books after this, so essentially what happens in this one is not really the final. The last two books were not made into episodes, although they wanted to do so and still want to, Luca as Montalbano wanted out. There are new characters introduced in this episode who disappear in the remaining episodes. Yet, those books are actually not very good. But, it is Livia who is misrepresented in this episode and gets a rotten send off. Montalbano falls hopelessly in love with someone half his age. He's willing to sell his house, leave Viagata and do what? Unbelievable. Totally out of character. This episode - The Catalnotti Method - is a mess and Montalbano's about face is hard to watch. What I also noticed is that the tone and music have gone in the last three episodes. The original director passed away in 2019 and Luca took on being the director. I think he is great at being Montalbano but I don't like they way he's directed these last three episodes. That haunting music is gone. There is a little bit more yellow-y light on the streets of Vigata and rural parts that make it more vacation-y but it is not what were are used to. And this last episode should not be the finale. This one episode completely destroys the previous 36 episodes in one fell swoop. It is just a lament and not at all a celebration.

I should have read the "User Reviews" before seeing this episode

[oviegas · 1/10 · 12 October 2022]

I never ever thought that I'll write a review like this one, even less about this serie.

Along the years, I have followed and really enjoy the adventures of Inspector Montalbano' and friends from the very beginning not to mention they also gave me a first glimpse of the Sicilian beautiful landscapes and architecture.

The only thing I can say is that I deeply regret have seeing this last episode. I'm still trying to figure out, what drove them to end this great series in such a disconcerting note.

If you, like me, have been following the adventures of Salvo, Caterella, Mimi, Livia....please be advise, know before seeing this episode, that you will be surprised and in my case, it was not a good one.

Even so, this is one of the warmest, witty and funny TV series that I have ever enjoyed.

Disappointing last episode

[bobwarn-938-55867 · 4/10 · 13 December 2022]

I guess it was a case of. 'smash up the furniture' so nobody could continue the series.

I note that no writer was accredited to this episode. Nobody, I assume wanted to own it. I would have better accepted Montalbano being killed in action that the weak squib we got. Fallng in love at first sight with a mere girl, and brutally discarding Livia, who has been his 'girlfriend' over 36 of the 37 episodes .... over the phone!? I know it's just a story BUT ir leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth.

Yes the series long time director had died, as had the forensics doctor who jousted with Montalbano. And some of the actors were showing their age. But it's truly a tragedy that two of Camilari's books never made it to the screen.

Perhaps, the series coumd be resurrected for the last two books, via: the new girlfriend dumps Salvo, and he recovers from his mid life crisis, and gets on with the business of solving crimes - with or without a rekindling of his relationship with Livia???

Very disappointing end to a much loved series

[drhparry · 3/10 · 22 February 2024]

Salvo looks old and unhappy. So does Mimi. Plot is incoherent. What a disappointment. I'm sorry I watched it. I would have preferred to remember the characters as they were, not old, sad and Salvo lusting after someone half his age who wasn't really interested. A ridiculous plot with unliveable characters. No feeling of being in beautiful, warm, sunny, hospitable Sicily. I will rewatch some of the earlier episodes but I shan't watch this again. I don't recommend anyone watches it. It's not enjoyable and it doesn't give closure. Just makes me feel it's a sad old world. Salve May retire in pursuit of a woman who will dump him.

Salvo didn't deserve this

[timstoreyceramics · 4/10 · 12 June 2023]

Like other reviewers here we have watched and throughly enjoyed the whole series, we started buying the DVDs years ago and have the whole set . When we heard the last one was released we bought it , uncharacteristically we put it aside and decided to watch the whole series over again and watch it in its proper order . We started before Xmas and with much anticipation watched it only to be completely dumbfounded . It was like it was written by someone else ...Who was this Montalbano? Dumping Livia on the phone ?...dastardly,..... throwing his friends out mid meal?.....unfathomable, going all out goofy over a woman 1/2 his age? ...... disappointing to say the least. Add a disjointed script and mere cameos by the regular cast that we have come to regard as friends and almost family and you have a mess. Hardly the deserving ending for a long, rich and enduring series .

Don't waste your time and leave your memories of Salvo and the gang intact by not watching this episode , we certainly won't again.

I used to love this soothing, occasionally silly, but also sweet series

[tonypm-00222 · 2/10 · 30 April 2024]

I cannot fathom the choice to make Montalbano's character become so despicable in how he treats those he loves and especially Livia. To cheat on and phone call break-up with someone you have been for decade+ .. is this some misplaced directorial attempt to demonstrate existential complexity, personal failure and human folly on part of an otherwise very talented professional? Or a mouldy macho narrative that is some 50 years too late to appeal to anyone who is not an Italian bachelor of retirement age who still lives with their mother? Boggles the mind. So very poor.

How Montalbano behaves in this final episode really makes one feel distaste for the whole series. Whoever made these editorial decisions should know - you spoiled it all!

The episode itself is the usual silly but charming Vigata phantasmagories.