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Overrated

Excellent but underrated film

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Since having recently re-watched Dario Argento's terrific Giallo The Cat'O Nine Tails,I decided to look around for titles featuring Cat lead actress Catherine Spaak (who holds the honour of being the first lead actress to appear (partly) naked in an Argento film.)Taking a look at Spaak's early credits,I was delighted to discover that she had starred in in film which was the second ever title to be scored by Ennio Morricone, (who would 9 years later reunite with Spaak,by composing Cat) that led to me getting ready to find out how crazy desire could be.The plot:Driving to his son's boarding school, divorcée Antonio Berlinghieri notices that a car containing a gang of teenagers has broken down by the side of the road.Getting out to help the teenagers fix their car,Antonio finds himself being left breathless,by the site of a 15 year old girl in the group called Francesca.Feeling uncomfortable about being around the gang,Berlinghieri quickly makes his excuses,and drives away.Attempting to get rid of his memory over the teenage girl,Antonio finds his situation to become increasingly difficult,when a group of Francesca's friends start chasing after him and teasing Berlinghieri.Furious over their teasing,Antonio parks up at a near by petrol station,and throw's an object towards one of the annoying teenagers.Taking advantage of the situation,the teenager decides to play dead,which leads to Berlinghieri being forced by the store's owner to take the teen back to the Summer beach house that he's staying in with his gang.Arriving at the beach house,the teen suddenly jumps out of the car,and thanks Antonio for failing for his trick.Furious over how he has been played,Berlinghieri decides that he is going to crash the gang's party and then drive away.Entering the beach house,Antonio soon finds himself running into Francesca,which leads to Berlinghieri deciding that this party may be one that is worth sticking round for.View on the film:Revealing a style that he would continue to use decades later,Ennio Morricone delivers a wonderful soulful effort,for what was then his second film score,with Morricone matching earthy female vocals with flamenco acoustics which build an excellent backdrop for the 'holiday' location that Antonio finds himself in.For their adaptation of Enrico La Stella's novella Una Ragazza Di Nome Francesca,co-writer/ (along with Franco Castellano and Giuseppe Moccia) director Luciano Salce decide to take on a 'square meets some pretty young thang's' theme that was popular at the time,with Antonio being shown as old fashion and dull,and no match for the young teenagers running circles round him.Sadly,whilst the movie does feature some sly social commentary, (such as the gang listening to a record of Hitler's speeches as if it were the latest Pop single)the writer's keep away from making the teenagers (with the exception of Francesca) extremely obnoxious and bullying,which lead to the gang being something that is extremely difficult to warm to.For the relationship between Francesca and Antonio,the writer's smartly decide to make Francesca a near mirage character,which allows for all of Antonio's lusts and weaknesses to wraparound his 'conflicting' relationship with Francesca.Giving the character a much needed playful side, the pretty Catherine Spaak, (who was only 16/17 when the title was made!)gives an excellent performance as Francesca,with Spaak matching the character's mysterious nature with a sweet,innocently flirty nature which causes Antonio to become hypnotised by this almost dream like girl.Joining Spaak,Ugo Tognazzi gives a splendid performance as Antonio,with Tognazzi showing Antonio gradually peel off his up-tight nature,as he finds himself,with an unknown,crazy desire.

"Crazy Desire" (aka "La Voglia Matta") was shot in 1961, and while it wasn't the first film for 16 year old Catherine Spaak, it was the one that catapulted her to international stardom. Ugo Tognazzi's midlife crisis is that he has never fallen in love, preferring his females horizontal rather than vertical. While driving to pay his 12 year old son a visit at boarding school, he gets waylaid by a group of hard drinking , chain smoking youths who eventually lead him to their beach hideaway, where he simply cannot help falling 'head over heels' for the stunning Spaak, whose character admits to being only 15 (!). She seems alternately touched and amused at his occasionally awkward but genuinely heartfelt attentions, going so far as to ask her to marry him. The male characters are a chore to watch, but the girls are all gorgeous, with the China Girl (Lilia Neyung) being a particular standout, whether just dancing up a storm or doing an impromptu striptease, making all the boys drool. Still, no other actress can dim the lustre of the luminous Catherine Spaak, who I had previously seen only in the 1971 Dario Argento thriller "The Cat O'Nine Tails," where her outfits truly provided some real eye candy for this red blooded American teenager. Both "Crazy Desire" and "The Easy Life" were Spaak titles that aired on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater during the odd 1969-70 season, which saw a number of foreign comedies and dramas being paired with the usual string of low budget sci fi/horror (their two co-features were "Frankenstein's Daughter" and "Billy the Kid versus Dracula"!). The 1969 version was dubbed in English, but current prints in Italian are at least subtitled.

Someone PLEASE PLEASE tell me where I can obtain a copy of this Ugo Tognazzi vehicle from 1962, which also starred the luscious Catherine Spaak. One of many of early 60s Italian comedies that explored the bittersweet longings of aging adults amongst youth culture, CRAZY DESIRE or THIS MAD URGE boasted Ennio Morricone's first score and some haunting pop songs of the period, plus a lot of good looking Italian youth in beachwear. Most poignant, though, was the aging but dapper Tognazzi in his sports car, clinging wistfully to his younger self. This film is burned in memory now for 30 years as I, myself, approach that turning point. See it with someone you're growing older with.