Director: Al Festa
Year: 1996
Country: Italy
Alternate Titles: Fatal frames: Fotogrammi mortali
Genre: Giallo
Plot:
Brought to Rome to film a music video, a famous director is attached to the project for an up-and-coming artist, but after witnessing a murder on one of the costars and being blamed for the crime he sets out to solve the crime spree as more deaths occur around the shoot that point to him as the culprit.
Review:
This was an underwhelming if still somewhat decent enough modernized giallo. One of the better elements here comes from the seemingly old-school setup that allows for the film to appear as a fine homage to the classic era of the genre. With the affair starting in the performing arts as a music video director on holiday in Rome to shoot a new project who gets entangled in the crime spree the longer it goes on, the main launching point for what’s going on is a generally serviceable enough feature. That is suitably enhanced with the advent of the killer removing the bodies from the scene of the crime but leaving a videotape behind to showcase what’s going on, and with the implication of him as the culprit through some ingenious connections to another crime spree all gives this a workable story.
As well, there’s also quite a lot to enjoy with the better-than-imagined stalking and chasing scenes. Starting with the opening murder in the alleyway that comes off with the explicit aping of old-school aesthetics, there’s a rather enjoyable dynamic incorporating television commercial stylings into the genre. That creates a wholly unnerving dream-like atmosphere during later scenes such as the brutal encounter in the park following a foot chase through the city or another victim sliced up at a tourist attraction which are both further enhanced with some graphic effects-work. A dream sequence stalking at a fountain makes for a strikingly red-lit stalking scene, while the thrilling final half provides quite a lot to like in terms of keeping the mystery going with some fine action which is enough to make this likable.
There are some issues with this one. The major drawback to this one is the most obvious and straightforward feature in the overwhelmingly unnecessary running time that never needs to be this long. The inclusion of so much unrequited filler, with setpieces and meetings to discuss the video’s production going on far too long for their own good, while other scenes could’ve been trimmed down or removed entirely while serving little purpose here. The photoshoots trying to amp up her sex appeal are nothing more than teases in the grandest sense, while performances that are captured in slow-motion or a visit to a medium’s bizarre mansion just seem to drag out the running time are simply useless filler that could’ve been taken out without disrupting anything.
The other factor on display here comes from the films’ rather ham-fisted production that draws out several obvious flaws. The fact that so many of the major advertised cameos are just useless throwaways with a one-and-done sequence all feels like a waste, much like the strange profiler character introduced into the film. The character is somewhat unnecessary due to other characters on the police force doing much of the same work and proves so unworthwhile that he gets replaced shortly after being brought on board through an incredibly clumsy body double that’s present due to real-world factors that are quite obvious to those who know their history. Such laziness is present through numerous other factors here that keep this one on the lower side of the genre.
Overview: **.5/5
A middling enough Giallo that has some positive features, that the flaws to this one stick out quite heavily might be enough to overcome the genuine positives featured in the film. Those who enjoy this kind of genre effort or are the most hardcore giallo fanatics will enjoy this one while most others who don’t appreciate the style or are turned off by the flaws should heed caution with this one.
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