La peur aux tripes

Decent Sunday afternoon fare, if you're not too concerned about plot, dialogue, or acting. It's a fantastic period piece, complete with fabulous costumes and hairstyles, a fashion show, chic interiors, Rockefeller Square, and even a parade -- which, for this Canadian viewer, was like, "okay, normal, but wait, what? It's the RCMP, red serge on horseback and all, plus kilted bagpipers, in downtown Manhattan??" Lots of great scenery in Europe too. Ultimately, I find myself watching these stilted Bondian/Harry Callahan/Shaft exemplars of turn-of-the-70s filmmaking more for the soundtrack than anything else; the jazz is terrific, and the musical emphases in this one (dun-dun-duun) are very entertaining.

Henry Silva plays John Chandler, a condemned man who is rescued from his seeming death in the electric chair. He is given plastic surgery, and is schooled in convincing people that he is now Johns' fictional, long-lost brother Phillip. The ones responsible are the C. I. A., who are now forcing "Phillip" to get the goods on international crime kingpins.

The amusingly convoluted plot is the work of Emil Bridge, Massimo De Rita, Luciano Ercoli, and Lou Stateman, and the film marked the directing debut for Emilio Miraglia ("The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave"). It's generally entertaining, with some amusing dialogue and situations, as well as some requisite globe-trotting, but first and foremost, it's worth watching if one is a fan of Mr. Silva.

He's in fine form, and effortlessly cool, as a grim-faced antihero with a score to settle. His supporting cast is likewise fine: Fred Beir ("The Organization") as the shady, smarmy Bob, giallo favorite Ida Galli a.k.a. Evelyn Stewart ("The Weekend Murders"), Peter Dane ("Violent City"), Bill Vanders ("Our Men in Bagdad"), Alfredo Varelli ("Quo Vadis"), and Roberto Maldera ("The Night of the Devils").

While "Assassination" may not ultimately be a particularly memorable film, it's watchable enough, and can boast a solid jazz soundtrack by Robby Poitevin and good widescreen cinematography by Erico Menczer.

Seven out of 10.