Demonio dalla faccia d'angelo

I rated this film tonight, but its ranking is deceptive as far as age groups go. I first saw this film as "The Haunting of Julia" when I was a teen and we first got cable. It's stayed with me since, and a recent re-viewing only affirmed my memories. The storyline was adequate, and Farrow delivers a terrific performance, but what struck me most initially (and remains true after watching it again), is the film's atmosphere. Julia's unease seeps into every frame of the movie. "The Haunting of Julia" features that undercurrent of melancholy (or pessimism, depending on your point of view) that weaves itself into so many 1970s horror films, such as "Don't Look Now"). And, as others have pointed out, although the plot line may be confusing at points, the cumulative effect of the film results in a payoff. then ending, by the way, is amazing. It has a true lingering effect; after all, it remained with me for twenty years.

Excellent adaption of Peter Straub's haunting (in SO many ways!) and gothic novel.

Mia Farrow is well cast, and supported by tight direction and an intelligent script.

Read the book first, however... Straub is king! (And not Stephen!)

In London, while having breakfast with her parents Julia (Mia Farrow) and Magnus Lofting (Keir Dullea), the girl Kate (Sophie Ward) chokes with a fruit and dies. The grieving Julia has a breakdown and moves to an institution. When she is released, she leaves her husband and buys and moves to an apartment. However, she does not look for a psychiatrist as recommended by the doctor, and her friend Mark Berkeley (Tom Conti), who is an antique dealer, tries to help her. Julia has the feeling that Kate is watching her. Meanwhile, Magnus, who lives with her fortune, unsuccessfully wants that Julia returns to their house. When Julia meets Magnus' sister Lily Lofting (Jill Bennett), she asks her to not give her address to Magnus. Soon Lily asks Julia to have a séance at her home, and she allows. The medium, Mrs. Flood (Anna Wing), contacts a girl and is scary with the ghost. But Julia believes it is Kate and seeks out answers.

"Full Circle", a.k.a. "The Haunting of Julia", is an ambiguous ghost story developed in slow pace. The flawed plot has characters that vanish, like Lilly and Magnus (nobody misses and seeks him out?). The killing spree is ambiguous, and is not clear that the evil ghost of Olivia does exist or it is a vision of the disturbed Julia. Is Julia possessed by Olivia and commits the crime spree? Or is she disturbed and killing her acquaintances and herself? The performances are excellent, highlighting Mia Farrow, but the screenplay could be better. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Demônio com Cara de Anjo" ("Devil with Angel Face")

Julia Lofting (Mia Farrow) is struggling after a tragedy. Her daughter chocked to death. Her desperate intervention failed to save her. Her wealthy husband Magnus is unhelpful. She leaves him and buys her own posh London house. Mark Berkeley (Tom Conti) is her friend. She fears harassment from Magnus, but the house is actually haunted.

Mia Farrow is just spooky in her pixie cut. It's nine years after Rosemary. She has the same haunted frailty. I would like more ghost action and earlier. The girl doesn't appear until the end. As it stands, it's more a personal internal character study than a horror movie. It's atmospheric, but it's never scary. It is odd that the film didn't get its American release until years later. It's very 70's.

Mia Farrow almost totally controls this movie as the mother whose daughter has just died. She's also estranged from her strange husband (Keir Dullea), but forming a friendship with the nice Mark (Tom Conti). She moves into a new house but after a seance with Mark things start to get strange. Also people start getting bumped off and a mysterious story about a young boy being murdered years earlier.

The cast are uniformaly good and some will be known by British TV viewers of the seventies and eighties. Farrow is very good as the lead but I feel that Tom Conti is very underused as Mark. In all an interesting I'd never heard of before.