La chica en la niebla

What a great film! ''La Ragazza Nella Nebbia'' has all the elements that guarantee genuine quality entertainment, the acting is terrific, the plot is ingenious and the dialogue is top notch. Toni Servillo delivers once again an unforgettable performance in this Italian crime/thriller, while the director, who is also the screenwriter, Donato Carrisi makes an impressive debut in the film industry. This is not the typical Hollywood crime/noir film carrying all the cliches of the genre, but a meticulous character study and social commentary on the interrelationship between the judicial system and mass media. As the protagonist inspector Vogel states: ''Justice doesn't boost ratings. Nobody cares about justice''. This is a movie that demands the viewer's full attention and the reward is a brilliant finale which concludes the story of a missing teenage girl in a small Italian rural town. This film is recommended to all cinema lovers and not just those who are fond of crime/suspense stories. Make sure not to miss this Meditteranean gem!

Excellent story, acting, directing, and cinematography. It's not a flash-dash film, but is perfectly timed. Well above average on every level.

Things kept happening in a complicated story but the eventual solution is beyond belief.Jean Reno stars.

A handsome thriller, with several familiar and welcome faces, that only really falls down at the end, which seems like twist upon twist upon twist just for the sake of surprise, with characters not acting in a believable or relatable manner. The very final twist, especially, is badly handled, with not enough investment in, or knowledge of, the character to give it any real power or meaning.

For all of that, it's still an enjoyable and engrossing watch up till then, so I don't feel I can in good conscience give it less than a 7.

In the small mountain town of Avechot a teenage girl has disappeared, presumed kidnapped. Inspector Vogel, a famous police detective, is called in. A suspect is identified. The clues all point to him but Vogel doesn't have any evidence. However, Vogel is not above using the media to progress the legal process.

Great crime drama. Very intriguing and unpredictable from start to finish. Many twists and turns: just when you think you have it all worked out, the plot goes in a different direction. The time-jump and multiple perspectives plot development plus a wonderfully dark and foreboding atmosphere help the intrigue and general feel of the movie.

Some great themes too, especially media intrusiveness, how it interferes with the justice process and how it destroys people's lives. There's also a great greyness to the characters: nobody is clearly 'good' or 'bad', adding to the intrigue and unpredictability.

Nothing is revealed until the very end, though here is where the movie loses some of its lustre. Writer-director Donato Carrisi tries to throw in too many twists and possible outcomes, making the ending a bit confusing and not as perfect as it could have been.

Still a great movie though.