Review: ‘The Traitor’ Turns a Fascinating, True Story into Yet Another Unremarkable Mafia Movie

Tommaso Buscetta, a middling member of the Cosa Nostra, or Sicilian mafia, is best known for his betrayal of the mob as an informant for the Italian government. His testimony helped to prosecute nearly 500 members of the Sicilian mafia in the 1980s, and, after fleeing to the United States, Buscetta remained a member of the Witness Protection Program until his death from cancer in 2000. Because Buscetta’s story has all the elements of a great mafia movie–feuding Sicilian families, senseless violence, betrayal, moral conflict, legal drama–it is logical to assume that his biopic would be a well-executed, emotionally fraught film. However, The Traitor, Italy’s submission for the 2020 Oscars, does not do right by its gripping historical basis, and it turns the unique, complicated story of Tommaso Buscetta into an overly lengthy, tiresome, conventional mafia film.

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Piper Coyner’s Top Ten Films of 2019

2019 seemed to be an absolutely incredible year for film, both because it was one of the first years that I felt caught up with new releases and because this year’s films were, in fact, outstanding. For me, 2019 was the year of sophomore features from some of my favorite A24 directors, as well as much anticipated films from directors at the peak of their careers. Notable films that I have still yet to see include A Hidden Life, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and Honey Boy, all of which probably would have made it onto this list. Honorable mentions include The Souvenir, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, and Booksmart.

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Review: ‘Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Song’ Will Cause You to View Films Through Fresh Ears

Although most people are familiar with the fact that Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, most are also unaware that he was also instrumental in the creation of the motion picture in his quest to visually enhance the phonograph’s auditory experience. Unfortunately, the technology of the first quarter of the 20th century was not able to sync picture and sound, but the fact remains that the visual and auditory components of a film were tied together from the birth of cinema, and sound has always played a huge yet under-appreciated role in one’s movie-going experience. Making Waves, the documentary debut of acclaimed sound editor and USC professor Midge Costin, is a simultaneously entertaining as well as highly educational film that highlights the often-overlooked work of sound design, and attempts to place sound back in its proper place as the equal counterpart of picture.

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