Rating: **
Review Date: 8/12/24
Director: Luciano Ercoli
Cast: Frank Wolff, Nieves Navarro (Susan Scott), Simon Andreu,
Carlo Gentili, Claudie Lange, Luciano Rossi
A French stripper named Nicole (Nieves Navarro) is threatened by a black-clad maniac to hand over a bunch of stolen diamonds that she knows nothing about. Fearing for her life, she leaves Paris and goes to London with a rich and overly persistent stranger (Frank Wolff). While that may seem like a serious lapse in judgement, it at least solves her immediate problem. But even though she's hiding out in a remote seaside village, the maniac soon follows and his threats become more serious. A surprising plot development halfway through the film changes the tone and dynamics, and shifts the story from being an erotic thriller to a bumbling police procedural led by Inspector Baxter of Scotland Yard (Carlo Gentili).
This is one of the more unusual giallo films that I've seen due to the humor element as well as the completely bonkers plot. It also includes some very disturbing eye surgery footage, along with some shockingly unpleasant blood and gore. The killer is immediately apparent, despite the film's constant attempts to deflect suspicion. Nicole's drunk, violent, and not-so-bright lover/pimp (Simon Andreu) does an excellent job of implicating himself by beating up everyone who might be a suspect, which makes things both easier and harder for Baxter (and the viewer as well). The film is full of false leads and loose ends, and even the title is a red herring.
It's a decent production and Nieves Navarro (who later married director Luciano Ercoli) is riveting. She has an enchanting face and a million dollar smile that melts men's hearts. In fact, her character inspires lust in every man she meets (including the director), which is an occupational hazard in her line of work, but she keenly uses it to her advantage. She also performs a shockingly tasteless dance routine wearing brown body makeup and an afro wig. Frank Wolff gives a solid performance as the seemingly respectable Dr. Matthews, and Simon Andreu is convincing as a headstrong and unlikable thug. Carlo Gentili ends up being quite endearing and nearly steals the show, although the ending freeze frame of him looking lovingly at his young partner is awkward and creepy. A strange editing choice, for sure. Character actor Luciano Rossi is on hand to attract suspicion and add another creepy factor. A common problem I've noticed with Italian giallo films is that the women tend to look alike, which makes it difficult to tell them apart. In this case, Claudie Lange looks remarkably similar to Nieves Navarro, down to the same hair style and color, which constantly confused me when she was onscreen.
While it's not a masterpiece by any means, it's a solid and occasionally silly piece of giallo entertainment that should satisfy genre fans - as long as you don't think about it too hard.