Sleepless (2001)

An elderly and retired police detective and a young amateur sleuth team up to find a serial killer whom has resumed a killing spree in Turin, Italy after a 17-year hiatus.

Director:

Dario Argento

Writers:

Dario Argento (screenplay), Franco Ferrini (screenplay)

Stars:

Max von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Caselli

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Max von Sydow	...	Moretti
Stefano Dionisi	...	Giacomo
Chiara Caselli	...	Gloria
Gabriele Lavia	...	Mr. Betti
Rossella Falk	...	Laura de Fabritiis
Paolo Maria Scalondro	...	Manni
Roberto Zibetti	...	Lorenzo
Roberto Accornero	...	Fausto
Barbara Lerici	...	Angela
Guido Morbello	...	Detective
Massimo Sarchielli	...	Leone
Diego Casale	...	Beppe
Alessandra Comerio	...	Sig.ra Betti
Elena Marchesini	...	Mel (La Gattina)
Aldo Massasso	...	Cascio

Storyline

A retired detective with insomnia is called upon to solve a series of murders. His partner is a fresh faced rookie who has the aid of the latest technological equipment to help solve the crimes. Will they catch the killer?

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Plot Keywords:

giallo | police detective | poem | murder | killing spree | 

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Taglines:

A Diabolical Story Becomes A City's Worst Nightmare

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, some sexuality and language

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

5 January 2001 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Sleepless

Filming Locations:

Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Medusa Film, Opera Film (II), Tele+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Translated into English, the films Italian title means "I'm not sleepy."

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Goofs

The strap on the pink top that Gloria wears towards the end of the film frequently slides down her shoulder only to have reappeared in its original place in the next shot.

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Crazy Credits

The final scene of this movie and the closing credits play at the same time.

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Alternate Versions

USA R-rated version is cut for violence, removing about one minute of footage.

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Connections

Referenced in On the Set of the New Film by Dario Argento: Sleepless (2001)

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Soundtracks

Swan Lake
Written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as Piotr Tchaichowsky
Performed by Amedeo Tommasi

User Reviews

Not Perfect, But Pretty Good

"Sleepless" is a standard whodunit, with some extra Argento gore and some nice little stylistic touches. It tells the story of a serial killer, the "Dwarf Murderer", who's murders begin again, either by him or a copycat. Years ago, he killed Giacomo's (Stefano Dionisi) mother, and so he has returned to help discover the killer. Ulisse Moretti (Max Von Sydow), is a retired detective who worked on the original "Dwarf Murders" case. Drawn back into the case, he attempts to solve the crime.

The whole cast performance fairly well, with Sydow, as usual, stealing the show every time he is on screen. Most of the young actors perform solidly, although there are a few performance that are just awful, and Giacomo's friend Lorenzo, played by Roberto Zibetti, is just annoying.

The movie is flashy and gory, following Argento's traditional style. In an era when most movies are indistinguished in their style, Argento stands out, with Hitchcock-like visuals and plot themes. Most of the murder scenes are incredibly gory, but I didn't really feel they were to the point that they were overdone.

While "Sleepless" is nothing that will be considered a classic, it tells a solid story, wraps itself up with a good ending, necessary for this type of movie, and impresses the audience with its visuals and style.

*** out of ****