Sleepless (2001) finds director Dario Argento at his self-referential best; producing a film that seems like a veritable greatest hits package of his more recognisable trademarks and preoccupations, including the revelation of a traumatic childhood event, the reliance on the juxtaposition between an older, more seasoned character and his young protégé turned amateur sleuths, the foregrounding of a burgeoning love affair and the always prevalent notions of sight and perception. It taps into the territory of his earlier films perfectly, with the depiction of a black-gloved serial killer prowling the night and killing to the rules of a bizarre children's storybook that is rife with reminisces to Argento's earliest masterpiece, Deep Red (1975). Admittedly, it could be argued that the film falls apart a little towards the end, but for the most part Sleepless is a fantastic thriller, and easily Argento's best film since Opera (1987) more than a decade before.
It was touted at the time as the director's return to his more traditional Giallo roots of films like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1974) and Tenebrae (1982); though I'm sure some would still argue that it doesn't quite achieve the creative highs of those particular films, with the occasional flaws - many of which Argento fans will have come to know and love - marring the film in the second half. However, I think even the most vocal critics would be able to see it as a self-conscious effort on the part of the filmmaker to create a film with a writhing and endlessly fascinating plot, some bold visual compositions and scenarios that recall the greatness of his earlier work, and of course, lashings of gratuitous violence. The presentation might be a little more cutting-edge, with the modern-day, 21st century streets of Rome and contemporary attitudes of its characters further fuelling the plot; however, the structure of the film, the relationships between the characters and the fantastic way that Argento builds tension and dread is right out of his "animal trilogy" of the 1970's.
The murder scenes are as inventive as ever, filled with those trademark POV shots and plenty of bravura, with the cinematography of Ronnie Taylor thankfully being closer to his work on Opera (1987) rather than The Phantom of the Opera (1998). The opening scene itself is one of the greatest things that Argento has ever directed, skilfully establishing the back-story of the killer and his particular Modus operandi as he stalks a terrified prostitute through a passenger train and out onto the empty, nocturnal train station, in a manner that recalls the opening sequences of that perennial favourite Suspiria (1977). The grandiose scenes of stalk and slash terror is to be expected from Argento, especially with the memory of his earlier films still in mind, however, what really sets Sleepless apart from his more recent works, like The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) and The Card Player (2005), is the compelling performance from a genuine acting legend; in this instance, the ever-brilliant Max Von Sydow.
Von Sydow plays Ulisse Moretti, a now retired police detective still obsessing over a shocking murder case that took place eighteen years earlier. As fate conspires to throw Moretti together with Giacomo, the son of the original victim, the two men decide to re-investigate the case in light of recent murders that seem to point to the same killer, or indeed, killers. Though Stefano Dionisi as the earnest and enthusiastic Giacomo lacks the natural ability of Von Sydow (a fact not helped by his rather poor English dubbing), he still manages to carry his strands of the narrative fairly well, while the scenes between their two particular characters resonate with the same kind of mutual respect and contagious curiosity that was found between the lead characters of The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971) or even the aforementioned Deep Red. Some of the other performances aren't quite as strong, though the shadow of Von Sydow and the technical virtuosity and ace storytelling of Argento definitely make up for it; turning a film that could have easily become generic and derivative into a genuinely interesting murder mystery.
It might not be Argento's greatest film; lacking the unconventional flair and visual eccentricity of Deep Red or the self-reflexive experimentation and daring design of the classic Tenebrae, it does at least deliver on the basic levels of story, characters and vision. As mentioned before, the ending falls apart somewhat; certainly not to the degree of The Stendhal Syndrome or The Card Player, but enough to detract from the overall experience. It's a shame too, as the individual elements of the film are great and filled with numerous Argento touches of horror and humour. However, for this to really be considered a masterpiece it needed the kind of jaw-dropping final-act revelation of the films he made in the 70's and early 80's. Without question, Sleepless is still a great film for those in the right frame of mind and definitely something that should be appreciated by long-term Argento devotees still desperate for something that comes close to the tone of his more iconic early works.
It was touted at the time as the director's return to his more traditional Giallo roots of films like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1974) and Tenebrae (1982); though I'm sure some would still argue that it doesn't quite achieve the creative highs of those particular films, with the occasional flaws - many of which Argento fans will have come to know and love - marring the film in the second half. However, I think even the most vocal critics would be able to see it as a self-conscious effort on the part of the filmmaker to create a film with a writhing and endlessly fascinating plot, some bold visual compositions and scenarios that recall the greatness of his earlier work, and of course, lashings of gratuitous violence. The presentation might be a little more cutting-edge, with the modern-day, 21st century streets of Rome and contemporary attitudes of its characters further fuelling the plot; however, the structure of the film, the relationships between the characters and the fantastic way that Argento builds tension and dread is right out of his "animal trilogy" of the 1970's.
The murder scenes are as inventive as ever, filled with those trademark POV shots and plenty of bravura, with the cinematography of Ronnie Taylor thankfully being closer to his work on Opera (1987) rather than The Phantom of the Opera (1998). The opening scene itself is one of the greatest things that Argento has ever directed, skilfully establishing the back-story of the killer and his particular Modus operandi as he stalks a terrified prostitute through a passenger train and out onto the empty, nocturnal train station, in a manner that recalls the opening sequences of that perennial favourite Suspiria (1977). The grandiose scenes of stalk and slash terror is to be expected from Argento, especially with the memory of his earlier films still in mind, however, what really sets Sleepless apart from his more recent works, like The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) and The Card Player (2005), is the compelling performance from a genuine acting legend; in this instance, the ever-brilliant Max Von Sydow.
Von Sydow plays Ulisse Moretti, a now retired police detective still obsessing over a shocking murder case that took place eighteen years earlier. As fate conspires to throw Moretti together with Giacomo, the son of the original victim, the two men decide to re-investigate the case in light of recent murders that seem to point to the same killer, or indeed, killers. Though Stefano Dionisi as the earnest and enthusiastic Giacomo lacks the natural ability of Von Sydow (a fact not helped by his rather poor English dubbing), he still manages to carry his strands of the narrative fairly well, while the scenes between their two particular characters resonate with the same kind of mutual respect and contagious curiosity that was found between the lead characters of The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971) or even the aforementioned Deep Red. Some of the other performances aren't quite as strong, though the shadow of Von Sydow and the technical virtuosity and ace storytelling of Argento definitely make up for it; turning a film that could have easily become generic and derivative into a genuinely interesting murder mystery.
It might not be Argento's greatest film; lacking the unconventional flair and visual eccentricity of Deep Red or the self-reflexive experimentation and daring design of the classic Tenebrae, it does at least deliver on the basic levels of story, characters and vision. As mentioned before, the ending falls apart somewhat; certainly not to the degree of The Stendhal Syndrome or The Card Player, but enough to detract from the overall experience. It's a shame too, as the individual elements of the film are great and filled with numerous Argento touches of horror and humour. However, for this to really be considered a masterpiece it needed the kind of jaw-dropping final-act revelation of the films he made in the 70's and early 80's. Without question, Sleepless is still a great film for those in the right frame of mind and definitely something that should be appreciated by long-term Argento devotees still desperate for something that comes close to the tone of his more iconic early works.