"The Girl in ...": a contemporary Italian detective novel

      First, a disclaimer: Carrisi has only three films about "girls somewhere," but the last one — The Girl in the Abyss (2022, 18+) — was so poorly received (5.5 on IMDb) that I don't want to talk about it.

      So why, exactly, is it worth watching The Girl in the Fog and The Girl in the Labyrinth (to quote the legends)?

      The Girl in the Fog

      Carrisi's debut film, adapted from his own novel of the same name.

      In the plot we are introduced to Inspector Fogel (Toni Servillo), who has been in a car accident and is taken to the station to speak with Dr. Flores (Jean Reno). During the conversation the inspector recounts events from a month earlier: in a small Alpine town a red‑haired girl disappears, baffling the local police — after her there was nothing left: no body, no clues. Inspector Fogel, brought in as a consulting expert, takes on the investigation.

      The film was received fairly warmly — a 7 on IMDb and positive reviews from critics. Overall, it's indeed a successful, interesting, and far-from-boring detective story with distinctive characters and a compelling plot.

      The only drawback is the rushed finale and a certain unreality about the inspector himself. It's clear Carrisi tried to portray an Italian Sherlock soaked in cynicism, but he somewhat missed the mark. If Conan Doyle's character inspired admiration for his genius through the deductions and decisions he made and recounted to Watson, here we are essentially asked to regard Fogel as a genius simply because the director intends it.

      Moreover, the media are overly dramatized and monstrously presented, through which Fogel manipulates the perpetrator's actions.

      Still, if that doesn't put you off, it's worth watching — especially if you enjoy the atmosphere of Scandinavian crime fiction in the vein of Jo Nesbø, Stieg Larsson, or Peter Høeg.

      The Girl in the Labyrinth

      If Carrisi's first film was worthy, his second already begins to misfire. The director seems to have tried to bite off more than he could chew, attempting to impress viewers with excessive twists and a convoluted narrative.

      The plot again revolves around a missing girl who is found 15 years later. We are immediately introduced to several threads: a girl lying in a hospital learns from Dr. Green (Dustin Hoffman) that she is the very Samantha Andretti; and private detective Bruno Jenko (Toni Servillo — the same actor as in the previous film), who 15 years ago did not search for Samantha, now, in his old age, decides to fill that gap in his career. Besides, he recently learned he is dying of cancer.

      I can't say the film didn't work for me at all. It's still a decent and interesting detective movie for an evening — provided you aren't picky about plot flaws or character portrayals.

      What surprised me most was the casting for the lead. Servillo is superb in the role of that cool, composed inspector, but as a private detective who has wasted most of his life on drinking and smoking and keeps liaisons with women of the oldest profession, he isn't convincing. After watching, I had the impression they were trying to show an aging Harry Hole (Jo Nesbø's detective) on screen, but what resulted was a bland patchwork of traits alien to the actor.

      And the same problem with the ending — Carrisi seems to have tried to cram as many details as possible into the finale, but completely forgot that the viewer needs at least a little time to breathe and piece everything together.

      Summing up both films: they are solid detective stories with elements of creepiness and unexpected twists. Hoffman and Reno are particularly pleasing — a balm for the soul amid the sea of anonymous faces in Italian commercial cinema.

      Rating for both films: 4/5.