The Driver's Seat (1974)
"Identikit" (original title)

Mentally disturbed spinster Lise experiences a series of bizarre encounters in Rome as she searches for someone to murder her.

Director:

Giuseppe Patroni Griffi

Writers:

Raffaele La Capria, Giuseppe Patroni Griffi,

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Ian Bannen, Guido Mannari

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Lise
Ian Bannen	...	Bill
Guido Mannari	...	Carlo
Mona Washbourne	...	Mrs. Helen Fiedke
Luigi Squarzina	...	Lead Detective
Maxence Mailfort	...	Pierre
Andy Warhol	...	English Lord
Anita Bartolucci	...	Saleswoman
Gino Giuseppe	...	Police Commissioner (as Gino Giuseppe C.S.C.)
Marino Masé	...	Traffic Policeman
Bedy Moratti	...	Dress Shop Owner
Dino Mele	...	Police Captain
Alessandro Perrella	...	Detective (as Alessandro Perrella C.S.C.)
Quinto Parmeggiani	...	Hotel Waiter
Nadia Scarpitta	...	Elderly Lady at airport (as Nadia Scarpitta Pernice)

Storyline

Lise, a mentally unbalanced middle-aged woman travels toward a fatal destiny that she had helped to arrange, as if her own extinction will bring a meaningful existence to its wished-for end - a premeditated search for someone, anyone, with whom she could form a dangerous liaison.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | schizophrenia | rome italy | police investigation | surrealism | 

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Taglines:

Was she really mad enough to plot her own murder?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

10 October 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Driver's Seat

Filming Locations:

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rizzoli Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Rate It X (1986)

User Reviews

Great movie but not for everyone

I disagree with the reviewers here whom simply write this off as a bad movie. "Identikit", or as it is known on the deceptively retitled US videotape release, "Psychotic", is a film that requires the viewer to think about what is happening, studying the disjointed events which gradually come to an ambiguous conclusion (which slightly echoes "Blow-Up" I might add). It is obvious that every detail of this film is deliberate and well crafted. Liz Taylor fans used to her more mainstream movies may be a bit put-off. If you like offbeat dramas from this time period that require a little brainwork then you may dig it. If you like having everything spelled out for you then you may find it "bad". I dug it!