Giallo

2.0

0.0 (0)

Italian horror genre master Dario Argento returns to the big screen with another trademark 'giallo' film called, funnily enough, 'Giallo'.

Argento needs no introduction to those familiar with the 'giallo' genre ('yellow' in Italian, after the books the films were based on), something of a cross between a mystery, thriller and horror-slasher film.  That didn't stop this reviewer trying to remember where he knew the name Dario Argento (don't you love research?) and only after seeing Giallo, and doing some fact-checking, realized it was his classic Deep Red ('Profondo Rosso') that I saw in film classes at college...

Often compared to Hitchcock (he even made a telemovie in 2005 titled 'Do You Like Hitchcock?'), Argento uses a number of signature styles when directing a film and these shine right through the opening sequences as the story gets set up. The cast assembled to deliver this film, including Brody playing two roles (Inspector Enzo Avolfi and Giallo/Yellow) and Emmanuelle Seigner (Frantic, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) playing Linda, the sister of Celine, played by Elsa Pataky (Snakes on a Plane - really), who tails Brody's Avolfi to find a gruesome serial murderer in present day Torino (Italy).

Firstly, hands on heart here - not being a follower of the slash/horror genre of any kind, it was hard to get into the film. Enjoying Argento's style and scene set-ups as a director made for entertaining viewing in early scenes, with some great tracking shots and suspense cinema.  However, as the plot progressed, the film became more a disappointment, falling into a number of clichés as the quest to find the serial killer, and Celine continues.

The film never manages to find the classic horror 'click' of story, suspense and the follow-up of gore and the ultimate redemption. Although Marco Werba's score works perfectly in setting many of the scenes up and commendable performances by the supporting cast add to the intrigue, they are let down by some questionable performances from Seigner and Pataky. A (very minor) special mention goes to Brody who was (during his horror phase during filming of Giallo, shooting the recent US-release Splice during the same year), who although being given a one-dimensional "investigator with a past to hide" character and a sociopath does well to manage his two roles in the film...by stumbling about as one, and smoking a lot as the other.

Argento does need some special mention for the way in which we feel some strange empathy for the lead, Giallo. It is however, all for nothing. There are too many clichés in this film to make it either a serious thriller, or a light-hearted genre satire.

In all, as good as it is to see the master back behind the lens, it's not really worth it this time around. Although, I think the cinema does do the film some minor justice and it may be worth even less on DVD...

WATCH IT FOR

Brody's makeup. That's it.

MISS IT FOR

Well, not so much miss it, but definitely miss it after eating a Haagen Dazs double-scoop and diet-coke as stomach churning probable. And the trailer - what a stinker. Actually, miss the whole thing. Better things to spend money on.

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