My review was written in August 1989 after watching the movie on IVE video cassette.
Though pretty to look at, "Domino" is a Brigitte Nielsen vehicle that's hopelessly pretentious. Falling between art film and sex pic, Italo import has had a modest theatrical release but is likely to bewilder curious video fans.
With a murky script by Nielsen and frequent Roman Polanski collaborator Gerard Brach, filmmaker Ivana Massetti tries in vain for avant-garde effects and an almost sci-fi atmosphere: all the action is shot on abstracted sets at Cinecitta with even car-driving scenes reverting to process photography. Though the pithy, pretentious English dialog is delivered well by an unidentified cast, none of it makes sense.
Nielsen is Domino, a platinum-blonde beauty (given to wearing numerous dark wigs) who's working on a video documentary about Billie Holiday. We're treated to "You Don't Know What Love Is" and other terrific recordings by Lady Day, plus vintage footage of her, but Massetti's endless homage has little to do with the plot.
There is little action, but a lot of languorous scenes of masturbation) (R-rated in terms of explicitness), Neilsen operating her own video camera and soul-searching talk about sex. Lest this sound like the Italian version of "Sex, Lies and Videotape", note that Massetti has little interest in character interaction -she prefers monologs directed to human sounding boards.
Nielsen sees a silhouetted couple making love in the apartment across the street and a voyeur with a telescope. And she's plagued by obscene phone calls. She wanders around, talks to several beautiful black women and consorts with a sexy sound man. Pic's silliest stretch for philosophical import is her monolog about the meaning of a growing spot on her skin (not shown), diagnosed as dermatitis.
The viewer does get to see plenty of Nielsen's unblemished skin, presumably the film's drawing card. However, unlike a previous Italian effort "Bye Bye Baby", in which her acting was fine, Nielsen's bored line readings here are embarrassing. Rest of the cast is functional, with British thesp David Warbeck popping up as a blind neighbor.
Massetti's visual expertise is evident, with fascinating lighting by Tonino Nardi and some amazing (if occasionally trashy) costumes for Nielsn by Silvana Fusacchia.
Though pretty to look at, "Domino" is a Brigitte Nielsen vehicle that's hopelessly pretentious. Falling between art film and sex pic, Italo import has had a modest theatrical release but is likely to bewilder curious video fans.
With a murky script by Nielsen and frequent Roman Polanski collaborator Gerard Brach, filmmaker Ivana Massetti tries in vain for avant-garde effects and an almost sci-fi atmosphere: all the action is shot on abstracted sets at Cinecitta with even car-driving scenes reverting to process photography. Though the pithy, pretentious English dialog is delivered well by an unidentified cast, none of it makes sense.
Nielsen is Domino, a platinum-blonde beauty (given to wearing numerous dark wigs) who's working on a video documentary about Billie Holiday. We're treated to "You Don't Know What Love Is" and other terrific recordings by Lady Day, plus vintage footage of her, but Massetti's endless homage has little to do with the plot.
There is little action, but a lot of languorous scenes of masturbation) (R-rated in terms of explicitness), Neilsen operating her own video camera and soul-searching talk about sex. Lest this sound like the Italian version of "Sex, Lies and Videotape", note that Massetti has little interest in character interaction -she prefers monologs directed to human sounding boards.
Nielsen sees a silhouetted couple making love in the apartment across the street and a voyeur with a telescope. And she's plagued by obscene phone calls. She wanders around, talks to several beautiful black women and consorts with a sexy sound man. Pic's silliest stretch for philosophical import is her monolog about the meaning of a growing spot on her skin (not shown), diagnosed as dermatitis.
The viewer does get to see plenty of Nielsen's unblemished skin, presumably the film's drawing card. However, unlike a previous Italian effort "Bye Bye Baby", in which her acting was fine, Nielsen's bored line readings here are embarrassing. Rest of the cast is functional, with British thesp David Warbeck popping up as a blind neighbor.
Massetti's visual expertise is evident, with fascinating lighting by Tonino Nardi and some amazing (if occasionally trashy) costumes for Nielsn by Silvana Fusacchia.