Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
!!!, August 22, 2005
Why are there reviews for this release that date 3 friggin years ago?? This is a totally different release with the uncut footage, widescreen transfer, extras whatever. If you like Argento get this, you won't be disappointed it is good whether or not it's his best. Don't listen to people that haven't even watched this cut of the film.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Argento's best by any means, but not awful., February 7, 2006
Trauma (Dario Argento, 1993)
Dario Argento has been making stylish, intelligent thrillers for four decades now. As is to be expected with a director who has close to twenty films in the can, his output has been a little inconsistent over the years. Trauma is on the up side of things, but it's not one of his best efforts.
David Parsons (For the Boys' Christopher Rydell) is an ex-junkie working as an artist for the local TV station. On his way home from work one night, he sees Aura Petrescu (Asia Argento of xXx and b.Monkey) getting ready to jump off a bridge. He stops her and convinces her to go for coffee with him. This does not work well, and she is accosted after running away from him. She is taken back home to her parents, spiritualists Adriana (Carrie's Piper Laurie) and Stefan (L'Ange's Dominique Serrand) after begging her accosters not to take her back to the Faraday Clinic, from which she had escaped just before the suicide attempt. On her first night home, however, not only do her parents call the clinic's head, Dr. Judd (Frederic Forrest, of Hammett fame), but during a séance, a series of confusing events occurs that leads to Adriana and Stefan's death. With nowhere else to turn, Aura goes back to David, and the two of them try to figure out who the killer is before he gets to Aura.
While the cinematography is pure Argento, much of the rest of the atmospheric trappings that make Argento films so wonderful are missing; most notably, the music is nowhere near the quality Argento got when working with Goblin. But a thriller doesn't have to be an Argento film to be good. How's the rest of it? The acting is a mixed bag; Frederic Forrest, especially, is painfully bad, the polar opposite of the brilliant, engaging actor who made Hammett such a treat. Piper Laurie reprises here Carrie role well, and while Argento's acting is not on par with movies she would make later in her career, she's acceptable. Brad Dourif also scores a role that's little more than a cameo, but he milks it for what it's worth. The plot can be a bit on the confusing side if you're not paying close enough attention, so be warned, but it does all come together in the end.
What will most disappoint diehard Argento fans, likely, is the almost complete lack of gore. Blame Argento's having made this film in America. He does get away with a decent amount, but it's a far cry from Profondo Rosso or even Non Ho Sonno.
All that said, I rather liked it; certainly more than I expected to, given the generally negative views of the film one finds in various places on the net. It'll probably be enjoyed more by those who aren't already students of Argento than those who are. ***
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dario Argento's Trauma., January 24, 2006
Well I thought that this film was just average, although the film can be quite silly its still good and Dario has a different style of directing this time so its a departure from his usual style that he used before. The story is about a distraught anorexic played by Asia Argento whose life turns upside down when she witnesses the murder of her parents including the decapitation of her psychic mother played by Piper Laurie I must say that her performance was way over the top check out that hilarious sceance. Soon Asia's character must uncover the serial killer's identety before its to late, she is also joined by a T.V. journalist who both investigate the crime together. Despite the film being shot in the U.S. it still has an Italian tone to it making it a combination of American and Italian gialo. The killer uses a particular device that is used to decapitate his victims which I thought was awsome. Overall I think you should check it out especialy if your an Argento fan like myself but I didn't think that it was his best effort.
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