L'heure du crime

Fans of Alfred Hitchcock and followers of the more recent "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" series, would likely be pleased with this nail-biting psychological thriller from Italy, which delivers many unexpected twists during its 96 minutes of running time.

If suspense isn't your cup of tea but you enjoy art films with non-linear and unpredictable plots, you'll probably end up drinking the whole pot of this satisfying brainteaser from newcomer director Giuseppe Capotondi.

"The Double Hour" is actually a love story between a lonely immigrant, Sonia (a chambermaid at a high-end hotel in Turin) and the also lonesome Guido, an ex-cop working as a security guard at an art dealer's estate. The two meet at a speed-dating event and just as they are beginning to fall in love, a crime happens, and their relationship is cut short.

But before that, during their first date, Guido looks at his watch, which marks 23:23, and he tells Sonia that it's a double hour and that she should make a wish. This detail early on, serves as a metaphor for the double life of the characters and the double storyline of the film you are about to embark on. And it's details such as this one that you need to pay attention to, because every one of them is important to decipher this riveting puzzler that won't let you get too comfortable in your seat.

Acted to perfection by Ksenia Rappoport and Filippo Timi "The Double Hour" is making its way quietly now through art-house theaters in the United States. Don't miss it!

The basic plot is sound; Sonia (a Slovenian immigrant) and Guido (an ex-policeman) meet and connect at a speed dating event, they start a relationship, then an unexpected happening changes everything, including what we know (or seem to know) about the characters and their motivations. Unfortunately, the script throws in a number of unnecessary red herrings and intentional misdirections. Some of them are just distractions, some are not even explained at the end, at least one is not explainable. Not a good thing in this kind of movie.

On the positive side, direction by Giuseppe Capotondi is fluid and dynamic, acting is excellent with special mention for Russian actress Kseniya Rappoport, who is on screen most of the time. One cannot avoid feeling that if the script had been edited and unnecessary complications pared down this could have been a first rate movie. As it is, one remains unconvinced and feels manipulated at the end.

Argentine nostalgics will enjoy a photographic view of Puerto Madero, one of the touristy spots in Buenos Aires.

All I can say about this film is that it ultimately made no sense to me whatsoever. Perhaps I'm just not smart enough for it, so go ahead and watch it and judge for yourself. If, at the end, you feel like you've completely wasted your time, then we're in the same boat, and I apologize for not having prevented you from watching it.

This film is mildly recommended.

I miss Alfred Hitchcock. His films were carefully constructed thrillers that would rarely let the moviegoer down. His pacing, editing, camera angles, and most importantly, his script, kept logic intact while entertaining and building suspense. There were always concluding set pieces that became memorable parts of cinema history: a chase on Mount Rushmore, a runaway carousel, a fight aboard a high speed train, an attack of stark-raving mad ravens. As I sat watching the Italian import, The Double Hour, my thoughts yearned for his deft director's touch on this film's intriguing premise.

Directed by newcomer Giuseppe Capotondi, the film stars Kseniya Rappoport as Sonya and Flippo Timi as Guido, two lonely sorts who meet at a speed dating seminar. She works as a hotel maid and he is an ex-cop turned security guard and both sense a real instant connection there. That's the beginning of a complex labyrinth that held my complete interest for about three-fourth of the film's length.

This off-beat thriller that becomes more ominous and intriguing every second with plot twists and startling reveals in its intricate plotting. There are twists galore, some minor, some major, and I enjoyed the conceit of the filmmaker in toying with his audience.

Now I love a good mystery and this is one, that is, up until the last few minutes when the mystery unravels and so does all reasoning. Actions are so out of character with Sonya and Guido's arc that the film defies rationality. Incidents that occur in the beginning of the film become random thoughts and really have no bearing in the maze-like structure of the story. The final shot made little sense to me when trying to decode the scheme of events prior to that ending, leaving me with a bitter taste of regret. ( Plus, no memorable set piece is on display when one could have been added in the airport scene to full effect.)

The movie tagline for The Double Hour reads as follows: A Romance. A Robbery. A Mystery. All that is true, and for the most of the time, the film does successfully involve the moviegoer. But, unfortunately, the film ultimately disappoints in the last half hour of the film when all the logic gives way to a very unsatisfying ending.

Sadly, I felt double-crossed and cheated when the end credits rolled. Yes, Alfred would have ironed out all the plot kinks before filming this exasperating thriller. Why have your audience invest their time and emotions in all of the film's intricacies when your overly convoluted plot becomes the major obstacle to the mystery itself. The Double Hour is second rate Hitchcock at best. GRADE: B-

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Greetings again from the darkness. Suspenseful thrillers, when well done, are just about as much fun as one can have at a theatre (unless you are Pee Wee Herman). The debut film from director Giusseppe Capotondi is very well acted, and pretty well written and filmed. It has some similarities to, but is not quite at the level of one of my Top 5 movies from 2008 - Tell No One.

Filmed in Italy (with English subtitles), the film does a terrific job of sucking us right in. Guido (Filippo Timi) and Sonia (Ksenrya Rappoport) meet at a speed dating event. He is a former cop now security guard, and she is a Slovenian immigrant working as a housekeeper at a swanky Italian hotel. Love blossoms for these two until the story takes a very dark turn. That's when all the twists and turns and misdirection begin.

Really not possible to talk too much about what happens, other than to say the characters and events aren't always what they seem. I really enjoyed the first two acts of the movie, but felt letdown a bit by the final act. Some of the visuals are very good, but the wrap up is just a bit disappointing. Still, the first 80 minutes or so are terrific and make the film worth watching.