The American Backyard - FrightFest Glasgow UK Premiere Review
Director: Pupi Avati
Starring: Filippo Scotti, Rita Tushingham, Roberto De Francesco, Chiara Caselli
Written by: Pupi Avati, Tommaso Avati
Produced by: Riccardo Suriano
Cinematography by: Pupi Avati
Original Score by: Stefano Arnaldi
Synopsis:
A troubled young man finds himself living next door to the mother of a woman he fell in love with during the War the year before.
Thoughts:
It takes a little while to get going but 'The American Backyard' is a well shot, intriguing mystery with some noir sensibilities that doesn't quite hit the mark all the way through.
Filippo Scotti plays Lui, a young Italian aspiring writer who falls for an auxiliary nurse in the US Army at the end of the Second World War. It's love at first sight but there's no time to form a relationship or get to know the woman. After a year passes Lui moves to the Intermountain West in the US to work on his brand new manuscript and realises soon after settling in that his neigbour is none other than the nurses Mother. The old lady's health is fading and she claims that her daughter has disappeared. Lui steps up and promises to find her daughter if it's the last thing he ever does.
Pupi Avati's black and white thriller looks gorgeous and is reminiscent of old noir films from the 40s and 50s, presumably Avati is a fan of that era and genre. But although there is a clear attempt to date the film, helped by an impressive costume department and some beaituflly crafted shot sequences, there is just something off. There are moments when the dialogue audio seemed a little off and I think maybe even dubbed over in English. It just took me out of the scene.
However one of the big positives of the film is the original score by Stefano Arnaldi. It's sort of part Bernard Herrmann mixed with weird 50s science fiction soundscapes. I was certain a giant alien with bug eyes was gonna pop out at some point based on some of the musical choices.
The horror elements of the film only really come into effect when Lui begins to hear the creepy whispers of a woman that seem to be coming from the small garden that seperates his and the neighbours house. There he digs up a jar and inside is something very alarming. It was all very 'Blue Velvet'-y. I did expect the film to go down a darker route after this discovery and there are some unsettling moments but sadly the film just remains on a fairly mundane plateau and never really goes to the next level.
Filippo Scotti is one to watch out for in the future. He was the clear standout and he has a presence about him that the camera captures perfectly. I wanted to follow his character and see him achieve his goal so in that sense Scotti did a fantastic job. Although the mystery elements are a tad meandering at times there is enough there to remain engaged but the finale isn't terribly satisfying.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½
-Gavin Logan
'The American Backyard' received it UK Premiere at FrightFest Glasgow on March 8th
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