Amuck!

I'm a big fan of the Italian thriller, commonly known as 'Giallo', but I've found that truly great ones aren't that common, which makes it all the more sweet when you do find that illusive masterpiece - and that is a term that can definitely be attributed to this film! Amuck isn't about a ruthless, black-gloved murderer or a police investigation; it's a film about mystery and the sexual tension between its protagonists. The film is a lot like the brilliant Sergio Martino film, 'Your Vice is a Locked Door...' so anyone who's seen that will almost know what to expect. While Martino's film is the most polished of the pair; Amadio's is far sexier. The film features the typical labyrinth plot, although it's all kept together nicely and despite lots of interfering emotions; Amuck always flows well. The film follow Greta, a young woman who takes a job as a secretary for a successful writer as his house is the last place her former lover; the beautiful Sally (oh yes) was last seen. While there, she is introduced to the stunning Eleanora and it soon becomes evident that all is not as it seems...

This film features a number of standout scenes; from the marshland shooting, to the enacting of the writer's book, all the way down to the superb ending - but the scene that this film will be best remembered for is without doubt the seduction scene between the two female leads. Lesbian sex is only good in films if it's done right, otherwise it looks like a silly attempt to sell the movie; so I'm pleased to say that Silvio Amadio's scene is definitely done right. The two leads are stunning in different ways; we've got Barbara Bouchet, the wide-eyed, innocent blonde girl - and Rosalba Neri, the cerebral seductress, and the sequence that sees them pair up is directed with just the right amount of eroticism to ensure that it's electric on screen. The way that the plot plays out otherwise is very relaxed and nicely fits the beautiful Venetian settings in which the film takes place. The score by Teo Usuelli is haunting and sexy in the right places, and what the film lacks in suspense is made up for by intrigue emanating from the sexual tension of the lead characters. Overall, this might not do much for those who like their Giallo's tense and ultra-violent, but if you want a seductive, tightly-wound little flick; Amuck is one the best!

A twisted tale of control and seduction involving the lovely Greta (Barbara Bouchet) who is hired by a perverted writer Richard with an even more kinky wife, Rosalba. Greta however has a reason for being there as her friend/former lover Sally who happened to be the previous secretary hired and who has disappeared. On the way to discovering what happened to Sally, Greta has various adventures from being drugged and seduced by the bisexual wife in a wonderfully surreal, slow motion scene to almost getting swallowed up by quicksand whilst being "hunted" in the marshes. Interesting movie to say the least.

This giallo is probably most famous for the slow-motion lesbian sex scene between Barbara Bouchet and Rosalba Neri near the beginning. That scene is certainly impressive (as you might imagine if you have ever seen either of these two actresses in action), but it shouldn't overshadow what a well-made, classic giallo this is. It has everything fans of gialli love--great visuals and setting, pulse-pounding suspense, sordid and perverse characters, truly surprising plot twists, and a great musical score and soundtrack. Farley Granger is wonderful, going convincingly from evil to sympathetic and back again. Bouchet and Neri are also both very good, particularly the latter. Neri is justifiably famous for her beauty (and her frequent nude scenes). She had plenty of competition in that respect when it came to gialli--Bouchet,Edwige Fenech, Nieves Navarro, Ewe Aulin to name a few--but she had no close rival when it came to sheer acting talent. This is definitely her best role, better even than "Lady Frankenstein". To get an idea of how impressive this film is try watching it back to back with one of those terrible "erotic thrillers" they make these days. How did we get from wonderfully sexy gialli like this to that dreck?

The Eurovision DVD has recent interviews with both actresses (who look about the same even though they must be close to sixty by now). They both speak English (Bouchet quite fluently)and reveal some interesting tidbits. The director of this film Silvio Amado, according to Bouchet, dropped out of sight after an unrequited love affair with actress Gloria Guida (the Italian Lolita of the era). I have actually seen a second-rate melodrama Amado made with Guida a few years later, which is why I was genuinely surprised with the talent he shows here. It's truly a misfortune that he didn't stick around to do more films like this. A true classic of the genre

Barbara Bouchet is the highlight here. You can't take your eyes off her. She is an incredible lead.

The film is wonderfully shot. There are great locations and good atmosphere. There are some fun sequences with a bit of suspense.

However, the script is quite bad. The characters make impossibly stupid choices that go against their own motivations. The ending was also unbelievable with the plans of the villain appearing pretty dumb.

There is more sex/nudity here than the average giallo.

At the end of the day, this is a nice movie to look at if you turn your mind off and go for a ride, but the unbelievable character decisions/reactions keep this from being a truly good film.

The secretary Greta Franklin (Barbara Bouchet) travels from London to Venice to work with the prominent writer Richard Stuart (Farley Granger), who lives with his wife Eleanora Stuart (Rosalba Neri) in an island. Greta is replacing his previous secretary Sally Reece (Patrizia Viotti) that is missing. When Police Inspector Antonelli (Nino Segurini) interviews Greta, he learns that she accepted the job to investigate what has happened to Sally, who was her friend. Soon she suspects that Richard has murdered Sally, but she cannot find any evidence to prove her theory to the inspector.

"Alla ricerca del piacere", a.k.a. "In Search of Pleasure", is a shallow erotic thriller. The erotic scenes are excellent, but the plot and the behavior of the characters are silly and absurd. There are a couple of twists in the story and lots of nudity along the story. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Em Busca do Prazer" ("In Search of Pleasure")