L'angelo bianco

I'd already had my fill of Matarazzo, but I watched this one -- a sequel to NOBODY'S CHILDREN -- just out of obligation to finish what I started. But this one was a step up. It picks up where its predecessor left off, and piles on a whole new series of tragedies, including an almost hilariously cruel boating accident. Things get even weirder when Sanson appears as a doppelganger character, and Nazzari gets obsessed with her, VERTIGO-style (and takes the opportunity to impregnate her for the third time in as many movies). Where this film surpasses Matarazzo's previous works is in the more heightened cinematic stylization and a somewhat deeper exploration of character psychology. There are actually some really good scenes here. It's still pretty soapy, and there are a few dull spots, but overall this is a "high 7" as opposed to the "low 7" for the NOBODY'S CHILDREN and TORMENTO.