(If someone kept singing that fucking nursery rhyme over and over again, I wouldn't be able to sleep a goddamned wink, either…)
CAST: Max Von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Casselli, Gabrielle Lavia, Rossella Falk, Roberto Zibetti, Paolo Maria Scalondro.
DIRECTOR: Dario Argento
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some unfortunately literal translations of fucked-up nursery rhymes straight ahead…
NOTE: Because my borrowed DVD of DIVORZIO ALLA ITALIANA is skipping relentlessly, I am forced to do a title switch-out. Yup, we’re reviewing another Dario Argento film as a substitute, the ambitious if ultimately flawed NON HO SONNO. Don’t worry - it’s going to be okay.
Ah, yes. Another day in the Argento universe, another mad killer on the loose. The anonymous, black-gloved psycho with a byzantine agenda is a staple of the typical Dario Argento movie, as are bad dubbing and elaborate, colorful suspense (and murder) setpieces that make it all look like performance art of the most fucked-up order. Those Italians sure know how to play it to the hilt, don’t they.
Dario Argento’s latest is titled NON HO SONNO, which in English means “I Can’t Sleep” or more succinctly, “Sleepless”, which is this film’s American release title. Both translations make sense, but just like with our recent review of LA FINESTRA DI FRONTE, it all just sounds better in Italian. Unlike the lovely, lyrical love story LA FINESTRA DI FRONTE, however, NON HO SONNO is full of sharp knives, screaming people, and cops who couldn’t find their asses if their hands were glued on them.
I mentioned that all of Dario Argento’s movies involve some mysterious killer with an agenda. NO HO SONNO is no different. The baddie here is known as The Dwarf Killer. No, he doesn’t kill dwarfs. He is a dwarf. When you finally stop laughing, may I please have your attention back? Thank you. Anyhow, our “killer dwarf” is one Vincezo DiFabrizis (Luca Fagioli), a children’s book writer who in 1983 apparently went Full-Flight Cuckoo one day and killed a bunch of people - one of them the mother of a boy named Giacomo Caldo. Giacomo witnessed the killing of his mother and was subsequently traumatized. The detective on the case, Inspector Ulysses Moretti (Max Von Sydow), promised Giacomo he’d find the man who killed his mother - even if it takes Moretti the rest of his life.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take that long. Vincenzo, apparently realizing he’s about to get caught because - let’s face it - a killer dwarf is just too ridiculous to go unnoticed for too long, decides to make Moretti and the rest of the Turin Questura’s jobs a lot easier by just killing himself already. Moretti, in particular, must’ve been relieved that he doesn’t have to keep his promise to Giacomo now.
Or does he? We flash forward 18 years to 2001, and Turin is suddenly besieged by a new wave of murders, starting with a hooker on a late train with no one else on it but the conductor. Don‘t ask. Anyhow, each crime bears the stamp of the Vincenzo’s original killings. But with Vincenzo long dead, how is that possible? Do we have a copycat on our hands?
Inspector Manni (Paolo Maria Scalandro) must think so, because he digs out the Killer Dwarf files and seeks out the now-retired Moretti to consult on it. Turns out that Moretti no spends his time pruning his cherry trees and arguing with his sarcastic parrot Marcello. Yes, really. So, as you can imagine, the prospect of coming out of retirement to deal with a case that won’t die is kind of a welcome one.
Except Moretti seems to have the early on-sets of Alzheimer’s, because he can’t remember any significant details from that case 18 years ago. Fortunately, a visit from the now grown-up Giacomo Caldo (Stefano Dionisi) jogs his memory a little, starting with the promise he gave Giacomo a long time ago. Oh, and I should mention that Giacomo’s last name is entirely appropriate. You see, in English, “Caldo” means “Hot” - and let’s just say our Giacomo is fairly nuclear, folks. Or at least the actor who plays him - Stefano Dionisi - certainly is.
Anyhow, the retired cop who can’t remember jack-shit and the son of one of the murder victims team up to solve this new wave of murders, all orchestrated according to an unpublished book of Vincenzo’s containing a really stupid nursery rhyme. Someone should tell this killer to get with the times and use a rap song as his inspiration. Seriously.
So… who is behind this new rash of killings? Are they related to the spree from 1983? Did Vincenzo have an accomplice back then? Or was he - oh, shit - innocent? Is the killer from 1983 and the one from 2001 one and the same? If so, who is it? One of the Turin cops? One of Giacomo’s friends? Someone else? Another dwarf? Or someone… taller. Ahem?
Whatever. Just see this movie because Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Casselli, and Roberto Zibetti are siiiiiiiiizzzzzzzlllllliiiiiiiiinnnnnng…..
BUT, SERIOUSLY: In our recent review for another Dario Argento flick, OPERA (review # 309), we talked about how all Argento films have common weaknesses: (1) bad acting, (2) bad dubbing (3) awkward dialogue), (4) nonsensical plots, and (5) thin characterizations. These elements would be enough to condemn any film to a mediocre or worse rating. But we also discussed how Argento’s strong, vibrant style often makes up for these shortcomings to elevate the film or at least redeem it. The best of Argento’s canon include SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, PHENOMENA, TENEBRA, and THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE - and they all juggle the plusses and minuses I discussed before, but end up becoming strong films because of the sheer power of Argento’s skill.
Less strong but still effective Argento fare like OPERA, THE CARD PLAYER, and MOTHER OF TEARS usually have less of the cohesiveness that the above titles share, but are not short on the memorable setpieces that the Italian Hitchcock is known for. SLEEPLESS has one of Argento’s tighter plots, but suffers from an awkard execution of it, very much the same way OPERA’s promising “operatta pursued by a killer” premise was fumbled by a haphazard treatment.
Fortunately, the saving grace of OPERA is the same with SLEEPLESS: great setpieces. Just a few to look out for: (1) the opening double-murder on the late train which echoes Argento’s opening for SUSPIRIA, his biggest success to date; (2) the attack on Mel the dancer in the night club’s basement; (3) Dora’s encounter with the killer outside her apartment; (4) the sequence backstage at the ballet recital where the actress playing the Swan gets killed; and (5) the climax where “whodunit” is finally revealed. On this note, I should point out that Argento plays very fair with the killer’s identity. Those of you paying attention will see a vital clue well before the ending - and correctly guess who it is. This is welcome change from a lot of thrillers and mysteries that go for ridiculous last-minute twists with killers out of left field.
The cast is generally strong. If you watch the Italian DVD release of NON HO SONNO, and not the American DVD release of SLEEPLESS - which is also cut - you are much better off. SLEEPLESS dubs all of the actors’ voices in English, and most of the time they sound awkward. The first time I watched NON HO SONNO was in its SLEEPLESS version, and I was not impressed. But when I gave it another chance and watched the original Italian NON HO SONNO release, it was much better. Having the cast speak in their native Italian makes the film a lot stronger. Bottom line: see NON HO SONNO, and not SLEEPLESS.
Max Von Sydow as Moretti is easily Argento’s best lead actor and character to date. Von Sydow actually creates an interesting character in Ulysses Moretti, whose best quality is his kindness and humanity. The relationship he develops with Giacomo is an interesting one that has very strong “paternal” vibes - quite understandable since Giacomo’s parents have been taken away from him by the events of the film. Speaking of Giacomo, Stefano Dionisi gives a much better performance in the NON HO SONNO version because he delivers his lines in Italian. In the SLEEPLESS version, his dubbing is distractingly bad.
Chiara Casselli does the best with her supporting role of Gloria, Giacomo’s childhood friend who becomes his lover. Casselli also turns in a better performance in the Italian DVD. In the American dubbed version, her character comes across as too whiny, unpredictable, and erratic. The NON HO SONNO version corrects this with its use of Italian dialogue that sounds much better.
As for the rest of the cast, they are uniformly colorful and strong - par for the course for an Argento movie, where the supporting cast has always been an integral part of the equation.
As with OPERA, SLEEPLESS could’ve used a couple more rewrites to tighten the plot and polish some of the sequences. Fortunately, it is kept above the average mark by the trademark Argento style and drive, as well as the timeless Italian aesthetic that turns almost anything into a thing of beauty to look at - even a CSI scene involving a dozen cops…
