| Aenigma (1987) Dir: Lucio Fulci Cast: Jared Martin, Lara Naszinski, Ulli Reinthaler, Sophie d'Aulan, Milijana Zirojevic Unrated, Approx: 85 minutes Image Entertainment DVD |
| Matt's Rating: ** (out of 5) |
| Reviewed by Matt Serafini 3/18/02 |
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| This later disappointment from Italian maestro Fulci is yet another depressing example of the director's fleeting ability to create interesting films in his later career. This 1987 effort is a rather unsuccessful blend of Carrie and Phenomena with sprinkles of Suspiria tossed in for good measure. It isn't exactly unwatchable but remains a far cry from his best efforts. Rather than his trademark gore and usually interesting style, the viewer is stuck with a detrimentally boring allotment of characters spun into snail's paced narrative regarding telekinesis and revenge at a Boston girl's school.
When Kathy becomes the victim of a cruel hazing prank that lands her in a coma, the vengeful teenager strikes back at her fellow students by exacting revenge with her mind. It seems that Kathy has telekinetic powers and when she uses them to 'possess' a new student at St. Mary's School, she makes the innocent girl do her bidding. As those that have 'wronged' Kathy begin to mysteriously die, her doctor begins to suspect that things are not quite right with the comatose girl and attempts to figure out a way to put a stop to her reign of terror while saving the girl whom she has taken possession of. Filled to the brim with dull, uninteresting characters and a very typical story Aenigma isn't especially engrossing; it offers no surprises and manages to be almost instantly forgettable. It may not be particularly fair to compare a drab film like this to a masterpiece of Fulci's like The Beyond, but it's hard to believe this is the work of the same guy. Especially chintzy where it could've used exploitation, laughable when it should've been spooky, the film in essence is an examination of female maturation and there's very little to enjoy about it. What's especially surprising about this film is the restraint Fulci displays with it. The subject matter certainly lends itself to a good old Fulci splatter show and yet, the murders are especially bloodless. This is one film which could've stood buckets more of the red stuff and instead we get none. As it stands the best part is when a girl is suffocated by thousands of slugs swarming over her (admittedly pretty gross), and even that is rather tame. Far be it from me to make suggestions to Fulci regarding how to direct a film, but he even holds back when it comes to nudity. Whereas Fulci's The New York Ripper greatly benefited from loads of sleazy gore and sexual situations, several potentially exploitative sex scenes are executed in Aenigma in the blandest of fashions. There are even attempts to seemingly duplicate the bizarre lighting schemes of something like Suspiria (in the film's biggest moment of missed opportunity, a character is stalked through an empty museum), but even they are largely uninteresting. Perhaps Fulci regarded this story in a different light than what he was able to convey in the finished product, but whatever that light was remains anybody's guess. Aenigma will only be of interest to Fulci's most serious admirers, for all others will be asleep long before this thing crawls to its conclusion. It may be watchable, but only just. This half hearted effort won't make you forget the genre efforts Fulci gave us in the 70's and early 80's, those unfamiliar with the director's work aren't advised to take this picture as a starting point, it may be enough to scare you off Fulci forever. |