THE PYJAMA GIRL CASE: Down Under And Halfway To Giallo
When is a giallo not a giallo? When it is The Pyjama Girl Case. It isa murder mystery and it does boast an ensemble cast of strange, often twistedcharacters... but it also has a body count of two and keeps its sexual contentlimited to a restrained minimum. Thishalfway-in-the-genre approach works because the film has much more on its mindthan the usual giallo thrills.
ThePyjama Girl Case is a fictionalized take on a real-lifeAustralian murder mystery. It all beginswith a female corpse being found in a junked car on a beach. Her face has been burned terribly, makingidentification difficult. Retired butrestless Inspector Thompson (Ray Milland) gets involved in the case,investigating on his own while official officer-in-charge Inspector Ramsey(Ramiro Oliveros) tries to tie up the case in a hurry. Both track down leads amidst the down-and-outside of Australia, meeting up with the usual weirdos and sexual deviates thatmaking up the typical giallo supporting cast.
But that's only half the story. The other half revolves around Glenda (DalilaDi Lazzaro), a lovely but capricious young waitress who divides her timeamongst three men: lusty factory worker Roy (Howard Ross), marriage-mindedwaiter Antonio (Michele Placido) and wealthy playboy Professor Douglas (MelFerrer). The combination of these twoplot threads ultimately sends the film in a direction that honors certainelements of the giallo while also giving the film an emotional resonance thatthe genre typically does not offer.
In short, ThePyjama Girl Case is not the typical bill of fare that Eurocult fans areaccustomed to. The first two thirds lackthe killings and suspense setpieces that the genre usually offers so itrequires a bit more patience than usual. That said, writer/director Flavio Mogherini truly makes it pay off witha final half-hour that ties everything together in a way that is moresatisfying - and haunting - than the usual giallo finale. He also brings a distinctively Italian senseof style to the proceedings, making great use of Carlo Carlini's glossycinematography and a lush, hook-laden Eurodisco score by Riz Ortolani.
And since this is a more drama-oriented giallo, it isfitting that the performances are very good. Despite some dodgy dubbing, everyone turns in worthwhile work here. Ray Milland had perfected his 'crusty old-timer'persona by this point in his career and he manages to deliver on that fronthere while also adding an extra note of humanity to his tired but determinedlawman. Di Lazzaro is also memorable asa woman who is driven by a lack of satisfaction that even she does notunderstand. Ross and Ferrer are solid asthe first two-thirds of her boyfriend collection but it is Placido who stealsthe show from the others as the most naive and vulnerable member of the trio.
To sum up, The Pyjama Girl Case isn't for viewers expecting the usual razors-and-black-leather-glove thrills. However, anyone interested in seeing a film that manages to rework the genre in an adult, emotionally affecting way should give it a look.
Blu-Ray Notes: Arrow Films has brought this title into the high definition realm with an excellent 2K restoration. In typical Arrow fashion, it's kitted out with a variety of extras, including a commentary track and several interviews, including one with Ortolani. Note: if you have the old Blue Underground DVD, you might want to hang onto it because it has a short documentary about the real case that inspired this film that isn't included in the Arrow set.