"Diabolically Yours" uses the same tired old trope that dozens of other films from the 1930s onward have employed: a man wakes up in a hospital, not sure who he is, but suspecting that he's not who everyone says he is. If that man is the film's protagonist, we need to develop empathy for him. And the surest way to thwart any empathy is for the plot to make him a fool.Why would a man who began by being suspicious of the story he was being set in, and who found more things to be suspicious of at every turn, keep reacting in the most foolish and trusting way? In the interest of not giving spoilers, let me just say that you or I, finding ourselves in his position, would've behaved far more sensibly than Alain Delon's character does here. The real fault lies in the plot for simply recycling a predictable story line and requiring stupidity of the "hero" in order to make it play out.The film does offer two concession prizes: some appealing cinematography in the 1960s Eastmancolor process, and a cracking jazz score by François de Roubaix.
... View MoreCinematography, set decoration and wardrobe are magnificent, but what a botched-up screenplay! You just know something is amiss and the final explanation just won't stand the least scrutiny. Ever tried to place a reel-to-reel tape recorder under the victim's pillow and operate it without a remote control? Ever gobbled a suspicious medication for weeks without inquiring what the heck it might be? The ever-watching drinking-pal-turned-doctor who just happens to be out overnight when the hero discovers all about the diabolical setup, the leading lady who certainly was not selected for her acting talent, the fetishist clone of Inspector Clouzot's Asian servant, Claude Piéplu's outré decorator number, everything in there will just make you scream uncle. Well, there still remains Delon, waking up from a 3-week coma after a car accident without a scar, just a stiff maxillary, and yes, the very good trombone jazz tune during the very "moving" opening credits (no mention of the composer, though). Lots of second-degree fun, not unlike a "good" monster movie. Try it as a double-header after Lelouch's Marriage, for instance.
... View MoreOne never knows the truth of this thriller until it nearly ends, even when it is already over everyone is free to imagine the fate of the survivors. A person, supposedly George Campos (Alain Delon), had an a car accident and is hospitalized for a while. When he recovered his conscience he does not recognize his wife Christiane (Senta Berger), his friend Freddie (a psychiatrist) and all his properties. In that situation he acknowledged the beautifulness of his wife and decided to have sex with her, but she always unreasonably prevented it. Time passed and slowly George Campos remembered his real name, Pierre Lagrange. The psychiatrist warned him that he himself is G. Campo, but the latter had already no doubt of being poor ex-soldier Lagrange. One of the reasons was that his supposedly dog did not ever recognize him. He decided not to take anymore the recommended pills and discovered all truth. Among the thrillers in the French cinema this is perhaps one of its best.
... View MoreAlain Delon stars as Pierre, an amnesiac recovering from a car accident. He can't remember any details about the accident or about his past life as a wealthy businessman based in the orient. He is currently being nursed back to health on his palatial estate in the french countryside by his beautiful wife, Christiane (Senta Berger), the family doctor (Sergio Fantoni), and a manservant named Kim (Peter Mosbacher).Paranoia rapidly sets in as he begins to suspect Christiane is not really his wife and that he is the victim of a sinister plot. Despite the standard plot device of someone trying to drive the main character insane or to the point of suicide, "Diaboliquement votre" is not a standard thriller by any means and often takes a detour from the main plot (Pierre's obsessive investigation of his true identity) to show us odd details about the main characters (the masochistic relationship between Christiane and Kim). The result will probably disappoint most mystery fans, especially the anticlimatic ending, but for others, there are things to enjoy here; Alain Delon's playful performance as a victim, a sexy Senta Berger at the height of her beauty, modeling a variety of sixties fashions, Henri Decae's lush cinematography, and some disorientating drug induced dream sequences.
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