Written and directed by Dirk Gunther Mohr, Capo di Famiglia III is a Dutch crime thriller following the la Rosa family and their tireless efforts to stay on top. Crime boss, Vincent la Rosa (played by Dirk Gunther Mohr), strives to maintain the family’s empire and extend his influence to the highest ranks of government. Bribing both the police and the Catholic Church in order to stay one step ahead, Vincent uses his son as a pawn in a game he refuses to lose, regardless of the cost.
Death is a familiar figure for the la Rosas. Losing both his wife and his father, Vincent becomes even more furiously driven towards achieving power. The loss doesn’t temper his fight as Vincent chooses to use his influence to help his son’s political career. Daniel (Max Laros) hopes to become the youngest prime minister – his ambition seems relatively innocent. Vincent, however, has other plans.
When cracks start to appear from the lies and secrets within the family, another tragedy strikes – this time leaving the youngest member of the family, Helena, an orphan. Double-crossing and corruption are rife. When the head of the Catholic Church decides he no longer wants to be in Vincent’s back pocket, things begin to unravel even faster. The widowed matriarch decides to take matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, the end has already begun. In his pursuit of everything, Vincent loses it all.
Due to the large amount of characters introduced over a relatively short space of time, it is quite difficult to keep track of who is who and what relation to whom. Despite this, every character is portrayed convincingly and engagingly with Dirk Gunther Mohr as Vincent and Peter Blankenstein as the Pastor providing a particularly interesting duo. Side characters such as the corrupt cop, Meijers (Marcel Romeijn) are well positioned within the narrative and are portrayed with gusto. I would have liked more clear direction within the plot, perhaps by making Vincent’s son, Daniel, a more central character. Max Laros does well with the amount of screen time he is given, creating an interesting character that seems to be on the periphery of his father’s nefarious activity.
A particularly strong point of Capo di Famiglia III is the cinematography. The shots are often beautifully composed and dramatically lit with shadowy, moody tones. Credit to Robert Schepers for the cinematography and Wim de Jong for the lighting. The accumulative effect of their work aesthetically mirrors the narrative.
Watch the trailer below!