A thriller with some iconic scenes and even a few laughs thanks to Bud Spencer and the homosexual investigator. The script is always the weak point of Dario Argento's films, and this film is no exception. The biggest flaw is probably not giving me other probable killers throughout the movie (of whom should I suspect? Of the keyboardist of the band, with whom the protagonist had a bickering the first 3 minutes of the film? Of the writer friend who has absolutely no motive? Of the lame guy who orders porn magazines by mail and who doesn't have a single line of dialogue?? There were simply no other options other than the most obvious and certain, namely the protagonist's wife who decides to leave just when the old stalker is killed for real, and therefore cannot carry out the crimes in the killer's place.
A little too obvious.
I think Argento is an extremely overrated director.
A great setup that doesn't develop into a great story. Still, Argento's directing saves the movie. Overrated, my ass.
Four Flies is the weirdest one from the Animal Trilogy. Totally different framing and editing gives this one a bit of an experimental feeling to it. The whole thing also has a disjointed feel to it because of the jarring cuts, but it works nonetheless. There are also some non-giallo elements thrown into this one that further confirms the feeling that Argento experiments more with Four Flies than he did with his two first films. Not that it’s anything wrong with that. Four Flies is a fabulous film, and of the three films in the Animal trilogy, the most unique.
The story is quite good. Unquestionably a giallo, and you can really see that Argento had to have had more time to perfect this script, unlike The Cat. This one, like both the previous two films, has less focus on the violence and more on our main man's confusion and feeling of not knowing what the hell is happening around him.
As fas as the acting goes, it’s decent, but more uneven than both The Bird and The Cat. Michael Brandon is a bit lacking in the lead role, but it doesn’t really ruin anything. Mimsy Farmer as the lead's better half works a lot better, and is my favourite from Four Flies.
Ennio Morricone’s third score for Dario Argento is just as understated as in The Cat, and really disappears in most scenes, but it works better than I remember it. I don’t know if it is Argento's heavy use of music when he starts to collaborate with Goblin that colour my opinion, but I prefer the scores he made with them over these, more understated, ones.
I really like Four Flies on Grey Velvet. It’s not as “important” in the grand scheme of things as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, but in many ways, it’s just as good. The only thing that makes me rate this a bit lower, is that I like the acting performances and music a bit more in The Bird. Four Flies is also essential viewing when it comes to Argento, and should not be missed.
The third entry in Argento's animal trilogy and this was a fun watch. It starts off really strong. The opening sequence to the first death is really something. The rest of the film never really live up to the opening but still good. The plot is actually quite predictable and the characters here are the least likable so far, but this was heavy on its bizarre comedy, even the science aspect is so silly, and a few beautifully executed suspense sequences help make it an enjoyable ride. The score by the masterful Ennio Morricone is great as usual, mixed with stylish direction and sense of strangeness that you usually find in Argento's films, I think those are enough to make it worth seeing.
Intrigante, non ai livelli de L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo o Opera, ma con una trama sorprendente e dei colpi di scena per niente scontati.
Shout by TorgoVIP 6BlockedParent2022-04-12T21:51:44Z— updated 2023-06-11T04:55:07Z
Early Argento. Entertaining with some fun moments throughout and a very visual end scene. Not great, but worth a watch.