"Sleepless" is a standard whodunit, with some extra Argento gore and some nice little stylistic touches. It tells the story of a serial killer, the "Dwarf Murderer", who's murders begin again, either by him or a copycat. Years ago, he killed Giacomo's (Stefano Dionisi) mother, and so he has returned to help discover the killer. Ulisse Moretti (Max Von Sydow), is a retired detective who worked on the original "Dwarf Murders" case. Drawn back into the case, he attempts to solve the crime.
The whole cast performance fairly well, with Sydow, as usual, stealing the show every time he is on screen. Most of the young actors perform solidly, although there are a few performance that are just awful, and Giacomo's friend Lorenzo, played by Roberto Zibetti, is just annoying.
The movie is flashy and gory, following Argento's traditional style. In an era when most movies are indistinguished in their style, Argento stands out, with Hitchcock-like visuals and plot themes. Most of the murder scenes are incredibly gory, but I didn't really feel they were to the point that they were overdone.
While "Sleepless" is nothing that will be considered a classic, it tells a solid story, wraps itself up with a good ending, necessary for this type of movie, and impresses the audience with its visuals and style.
*** out of ****
The whole cast performance fairly well, with Sydow, as usual, stealing the show every time he is on screen. Most of the young actors perform solidly, although there are a few performance that are just awful, and Giacomo's friend Lorenzo, played by Roberto Zibetti, is just annoying.
The movie is flashy and gory, following Argento's traditional style. In an era when most movies are indistinguished in their style, Argento stands out, with Hitchcock-like visuals and plot themes. Most of the murder scenes are incredibly gory, but I didn't really feel they were to the point that they were overdone.
While "Sleepless" is nothing that will be considered a classic, it tells a solid story, wraps itself up with a good ending, necessary for this type of movie, and impresses the audience with its visuals and style.
*** out of ****