Il segreto di una donna

An extremely disappointing drama from Joe D'Amato and one that never generates any kind of fire or suspense despite the premise. He could have made a fun little giallo here but he blew it. Margot Hemingway plays a woman who gets involved with a journalist, but this is merely an excuse for lots of boring sex scenes to pad out very little story. Later there's some nonsense sub-plot that feels like something out of a BOURNE movie but none of it is remotely believable.

A Woman's secret (1991) is a bit different to many other D'amato outings. It has a very "American/commercial" feel compared to other of his films and he seems to have a slightly bigger budget than usual. Margaux Hemingway, Apollonia ("Purple Rain") and Dan McVicar (of "The Bold and the Beautiful" fame) handle their parts well and the film itself is easy to get into. It also lacks the sleaze factor that Joe D'amato films usually have (even if the film has some scenes of nudity).

D'amato has added some extra attractions to the film, for instance there is quite a lot of footage from the Mardi Gras, even if the storyline didn't necessarily call for it. But it was nice to watch, though.

The version I saw was dubbed in English. Sadly, the film is very hard to find because it could appeal even to those who would never watch a D' amato film otherwise and is a good showcase of Joe D'amato's more commercial talents.