This bloodless giallo is interesting because the plot is one of this slippery types that keeps moving and changing even when you think you've got things pegged. It also short too, and sea based.
Barbara Bouchet is married to grizzled rich boat racing dude called Kosta who loves racing boats and hates losing anything, so of course Barbara is having an affair with his friend and the both of them are conspiring to kill Kosta during a boat race and get all his money. Haven't these watched any of the proceeding million or so films that have this plot? I mean, even at the start of the film we're clued in that not everything is going smoothly when it's revealed that someone is recording their murderous conversations.
Everyone gets together for the big boat race and although we get an awful lot of boat racing, the very snappy editing and cinematography are so good I rather enjoyed it. Plus, we get to see Barbara's squeeze (played by the killer from Island of Death) do a Greek dance that results in many a broken plate. Someone's got to clean all that up you know!
Back on board Barbara and the guy who's name I should have remembered are still plotting the murder, and a storm looks like it's the perfect time to carry it out. It's at this point where the story starts shifting to and fro, so I'll say no more!
It's the interaction between Kosta and Barbara that's the best thing about the film. This is a couple that seem to totally loathe each other and are always playing some sort of game with each other (literally, at one point in the film). They say things to each other that mean other things, bitterly smiling at each other. There's a good few twists along the way to the fitting ending.
As I've already mentioned the editing and camerawork are brilliant in this film, with many inventive angles and shots that keep your interest. It's an old school giallo but doesn't feel stale at all.
