Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

GIALLO

GIALLO (2009). Director: Dario Argento.

Linda (Emmanuelle Seigner) is horrified to learn that her sister, Celine, a model, is the latest in a line of women kidnapped by a disfigured, unknown maniac. She teams up with an American F.B.I man working in Rome, Inspector Enzo Avolfi (Adrian Brody), to try to save her sister and trap her abductor. This is Dario Argento treading water, as the film is well-acted [hard to figure how or why Brody wound up in this but he's made other bad film choices after winning an Oscar for The Pianist in 2002] but not very absorbing or interesting. Argento has made much, much better films than this, but at least it's slightly better than his tedious 2005 telefilm Do You Like Hitchcock? Brody also appeared in Predators, Hollywoodland --which showcased him much more as an actor -- and the most recent King Kong, all of which, despite their flaws, are better than this disappointing "thriller."

Verdict: Not the Argento you remember. **.

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