Love detective mystery dramas, particularly those from the UK and US ('Inspector Morse', 'A Touch of Frost', 'Foyle's War', 'Inspector George Gently', 'Midsomer Murders', 'Law and Order', 'Criminal Minds', 'Monk' and 'Murder She Wrote' for examples,, and non-English/American ones (i.e. The Swedish 'Wallander' and the Danish 'The Killing') also fascinate me.
'Inspector Montalbano' is one of the best and most entertaining examples. It is not easy breathing freshness into a well-worn genre but 'Inspector Montalbano' manages to do so with aplomb. Watching 'Inspector Montalbano' is like eating a delicious Italian meal that immensely satisfies and leaves you wanting more. There may be very familiar tropes, but in a way it's inevitable and doesn't detract from the enjoyment at all.
"A Trip to Tindari" is one of my favourite 'Inspector Montalbano' episodes. Although all the previous episodes were very good to excellent (the weakest to me is "The Terracotta Dog" and that was still high quality, despite being too exposition-reliant and the story sometimes lacking clarity), "A Trip to Tindari" is also my favourite of the series up to this point.
One always expects 'Inspector Montalbano' to look good. As always with 'Inspector Montalbano', "A Trip to Tindari" is beautifully shot and the scenery is stunning, making those who've never been to Italy want to book a holiday there as soon as possible and is a treat for anybody who loves all things Italian. The music is never over-bearing or low-key with a nice atmosphere and flavour, a lot of it is very cleverly used. The sound effects are remarkably authentic.
Writing is tightly structured and taut, with very funny to hilarious humour, nail-biting tension and involving and poignant human drama balanced beautifully. The subtitles are not hard to follow and the story, although a little more complicated than usual, is absorbing and a real brain-teaser, suitably challenging the viewer while still being logical and comprehensible. There is more than one case here but enough time is devoted to each and it never feels over-stuffed.
Characters may be stereotypes but well-written ones, especially one of the most fascinating foreign detective mystery dramas titular characters there is to me and the scene-stealing Catarella (hilarious comic relief but more than that). The supporting characters intrigue too.
Acting is terrific, especially from Luca Zigaretti who is a treasure in the title role. Angelo Russo's comic timing is a refreshing and always perfectly timed joy and the supporting cast are strong. Katharina Bohm is just as good here as she was in the previous episodes and Peppino Mazzotta plays Fazio with relish.
In conclusion, this trip is more than worth going on, for fans of 'Inspector Montalbano' it's a must. 10/10 Bethany Cox