La casa del buon ritorno

I got the feeling watching this, with such a small cast, and failing to connect with any of the characters, that the director lost the plot. Then I realised he wrote the story and the script as well as directing, so there really was no excuse. The story is OK and the early flashbacks to childhood and the later spooky goings on with the mannequin bode well and yet the thing still unravels. Having people run around an empty house looking for the other alternately, a film does not make. Its a shame because there are fine moments but because we don't care its a bit of a waste. Neither Stefano Gabrini nor Amanda Sandrelli impress but it could be the fault of the script.

This is one of the best of the 1980's Italian gialli and one of the best of later films in this genre not directed by a "name" director like Dario Argento (OK, that might not be saying much, but still. . .). The film has intrigued me every since I first read about it in Adrian Luther-Smith's seminal English-language book on the genre, "Blood in Black Lace", where it is listed under the Italian title "La Casa di Buon Retorno". And it actually lived up to my expectations.

The plot involves a boy who accidentally causes the death of a girl (his sister?) in his childhood countryside villa after she frightens him with an Onibaba mask. Fifteen years later he returns with his new girlfriend (Amanda Sandrelli) to the abandoned villa where some of his childhood friends have remained and become creepy locals. He starts to see the dead girl, suggesting either that he is going mad or that someone is trying to drive him mad. It isn't long before a mysterious figure in an Onibaba mask starts killing people.

This is a great old-fashioned giallo with above-par music and creepy visuals like the Japanese Onibaba mask, the old photographs of the dead girl, and the creepy mannequins dressed in masques and old clothes that fill the abandoned country mansion. As per the rest of the genre, the acting performances are all suitably unhinged (particularly the actor that plays the protagonist), but this doesn't have the frenetic, delirious pacing of some of the gialli. It is much more slow-burning and atmospheric (which is befitting its sleepy country setting). The identity of the killer in the Onibaba mask is pretty predictable, but the end is surprisingly nihilistic, even for a giallo, and I don't quite to make of the very final reveal. Still, the only thing it's lacking compared to the earlier 70's giallo classics is female nudity. Amanda Sandrelli stays clothed, which is strange considering she is the daughter of Stefania ("Is it time for my full-frontal nude scene, Mr. Italian director?") Sandrelli. But that and the generally lousy available prints are the only minor quibbles I have with this very entertaining 80's giallo.

A young girl dies under mysterious circumstances whilst playing hide-and-seek with a young boy.Fifteen years later.Luca returns back to mysterious villa where past tragedy occurred.He quickly becomes disturbed whilst staying in this house of memories.Luca sees mysterious lady in black and he becomes obsessed with creepy looking mannequin."The House of Blue Shadows" by Beppe Cino enters giallo territory when mysterious killer appears and begins to stalk Luca's girlfriend...Very rare giallo which was never released on DVD.It's quite unsettling little film with ominous atmosphere of dread.No gore and nudity,but plenty of uncanny atmosphere.The comparisons to "House with the Windows That Laugh"(1976) and "The Perfume of the Lady in Black"(1974)are more than accurate.8 white Onibaba masks out of 10.

Apparently everyone who got the Onibaba reference can't hold back their excitement over this film. Unfortunately, the mask is just about the only thing that lifts it out of the doldrums. There are three speaking parts here, of which only two characters are actively involved in the so-called plot; their involvement is limited to screaming at each other in whiny voices when the director wants one of them to leave the otherwise uneventful scene. Sometimes the man leaves to let the girl prowl around the old dark house; then it's the girl's turn, and she leaves to give him the chance to do his own prowling undeterred. Some tracking shots would have been moody if there were anything here to be moody about. And I don't think the director himself knows exactly what happens at the very end (or, in fact, in the few middle bits where anything does happen - e. g., what is the significance of the doll that the protagonist eventually takes to bed? what do the children burn? I don't much care, but it would be nice to know it wasn't all just completely off the wall).

LA CASA... is a genuinely eerie mood piece. It's cousins with House with the Laughing Windows and Perfume of a Lady in Black-- looser gialli that don't necessarily have black gloved killers or high body counts. I'm still lost as to why we refer to these as gialli; perhaps the mystery?

Anyone who has seen both of those above, or similar gialli, will not doubt figure out the trajectory of the film. However, it's all so masterly done, you end up watching it for the experience, the atmosphere, the images. Everything is ominous in the film, and even made more so by the directors excellent use of cross fades.

Oh. But unfortunately. Unfortunately our protagonist is awful. He is incredibly handsome, he's sexy, I wouldn't kick him out of bed. But he's an awful actor. This is the huge difference between this film, and Perfume of a Lady in Black. There is no emotional connection with the protagonist-- he is no Mimsy Farmer, nor Jorge Rivero from Evil Eye, another similar film.

Ultimately, LA CASA... is a beautiful film, that lacks much of a connection with the viewer, but is does what it does so well (to entice, mystify) that I recommend it.