I must confess my impression of George Lazenby improved after watching "Who Saw Her Die", he was far more restrained than I expected, dare I say even improved the overall film which was otherwise a meandering tale that failed to find purpose.
The general plot is disturbing enough (concerning a child killer) and unfolds well, but the subsequent self-investigation by Lazenby (as the grieving father) and track-down of the killer seemed too randomised and illogical.
There's a few gripping moments after the initial horrors (Strindberg startled in the apartment was tense) but mostly the shocks are too well telegraphed to properly land more than just a glancing blow (e.g. the aviary scene). Too many extraneous characters brought into ephemeral focus appear to paper over a thin, largely arbitrary plot that runs out of road all too quickly. Adolfo Celi's supporting role seems largely frivolous and the statuesque Swedish beauty Strindberg is left to spin her wheels with little opportunity to become embroiled in the mystery.
So Lazenby has been given the keys and does deliver the film to at least a decent standard, whilst the sets and exteriors are highly stylised and visual, typical for Italian thrillers of that era. Too many loose strands that just doesn't manage to knit all the threads together in one cohesive and compelling whodunit. Not bad, but just middle of the road in my opinion.
The general plot is disturbing enough (concerning a child killer) and unfolds well, but the subsequent self-investigation by Lazenby (as the grieving father) and track-down of the killer seemed too randomised and illogical.
There's a few gripping moments after the initial horrors (Strindberg startled in the apartment was tense) but mostly the shocks are too well telegraphed to properly land more than just a glancing blow (e.g. the aviary scene). Too many extraneous characters brought into ephemeral focus appear to paper over a thin, largely arbitrary plot that runs out of road all too quickly. Adolfo Celi's supporting role seems largely frivolous and the statuesque Swedish beauty Strindberg is left to spin her wheels with little opportunity to become embroiled in the mystery.
So Lazenby has been given the keys and does deliver the film to at least a decent standard, whilst the sets and exteriors are highly stylised and visual, typical for Italian thrillers of that era. Too many loose strands that just doesn't manage to knit all the threads together in one cohesive and compelling whodunit. Not bad, but just middle of the road in my opinion.