WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT HER (1969, original title Senza sapere niente di lei) is quite possibly the slowest and least involving giallo film I've ever watched; I'm not sure it even qualifies as a giallo, as it's more like a character mystery or social drama. It stars French actor Philippe Leroy as an insurance investigator called in when an old lady dies unexpectedly, leaving her finances in a mess. Before long he's romancing her daughter and getting rather too close to the case...sadly as with many such films, the focus is on romance over anything else, and the only shock is a bloody attempted suicide scene. It seems a missed opportunity when Paola Pitagora acts sensitively in the mystery 'femme fatale' role and Ennio Morricone contributes a worthwhile score, but the whole thing is so lifeless and slow, ending in mere ambiguity, that I felt cheated by it.
3 Reviews
Early giallo
BandSAboutMovies11 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
In my quest to watch giallo that not many have and bring them to you, dear reader, I've been looking into the pre-Argento years and I've discovered this one, known in America as Without Knowing Anything About Her.
An old woman dies before the expiration of her life insurance policy and a lawyer (Philippe Leroy) investigates, but ends up falling in love with her daughter, played by Paola Pitagora. His intentions aren't good, but neither are hers.
This is less in the shadows, light on the murder and has plenty of Milan scenery and a Morricone score to liven things up, plus an ambiguous ending that comes out of nowhere and is pretty awesome. It's not perfect, but if you're seeking something different, here it is.
An old woman dies before the expiration of her life insurance policy and a lawyer (Philippe Leroy) investigates, but ends up falling in love with her daughter, played by Paola Pitagora. His intentions aren't good, but neither are hers.
This is less in the shadows, light on the murder and has plenty of Milan scenery and a Morricone score to liven things up, plus an ambiguous ending that comes out of nowhere and is pretty awesome. It's not perfect, but if you're seeking something different, here it is.
An Italian giallo take on an American film noir classic
melvelvit-130 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
An insurance investigator (Philippe Leroy) tailing an enigmatic young woman involved in a possible insurance scam seduces her to get information but the hunter soon gets captured by the game in Luigi Comencini's somber yet romantic variation on the film noir classic ANGEL FACE, greatly enhanced by a moody Ennio Morricone score.
Although it's not mentioned in Adrian Luther Smith's "giallo bible" BLOOD & BLACK LACE: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO Italian SEX AND HORROR MOVIES, the film wouldn't have been out of place there since it's reely no different than the ones Umberto Lenzi liked to crank out in the late '60s with Carroll Baker. These psychological (or "bloodless") gialli usually revolved around an inheritance scheme with heirs resorting to homicide and it's a major plot point here as well but despite the murder and suicide involved, the body count remains low until the shocking conclusion (which you might see coming if you're familiar with Simmons & Mitchum's end in the American film noir that obviously inspired it). Pretty good.
Although it's not mentioned in Adrian Luther Smith's "giallo bible" BLOOD & BLACK LACE: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO Italian SEX AND HORROR MOVIES, the film wouldn't have been out of place there since it's reely no different than the ones Umberto Lenzi liked to crank out in the late '60s with Carroll Baker. These psychological (or "bloodless") gialli usually revolved around an inheritance scheme with heirs resorting to homicide and it's a major plot point here as well but despite the murder and suicide involved, the body count remains low until the shocking conclusion (which you might see coming if you're familiar with Simmons & Mitchum's end in the American film noir that obviously inspired it). Pretty good.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
