Napoli Velata (4 Stars)

This film, whose title translates as "Naples in Veils", is an intriguing murder mystery. However, the film's atmosphere is just as important as the plot itself. The cinematography is overwhelming. The viewer is seduced by the opulent imagery of the ancient city of Naples.

Adriana is a police coroner. At a private theatre performance she meets a handsome man called Andrea, and she invites him back to her apartment for the night even though he's much younger than her. They arrange to meet at the museum the next day, but he doesn't come. She's called into work to examine a murder victim, and it's Andrea. His eyes have been gouged out.

Shortly afterwards Adriana's apartment is ransacked. The police assume that the murderer was looking for something Andrea might have hidden, but she has no idea what it is.

A few days later Adriana sees a man in the street who looks identical to Andrea. She finds out that it's his twin brother Luca. Nobody else knows that he's in Naples, so Adriana hides him in her apartment, and they become lovers. Despite the identical looks the personalities are very different. Andrea was self-confident and loving, whereas Luca is nervous and jealous. He accuses her of seeing another man whenever she goes out even for a small time.

Adriana's colleague Antonio is assigned to investigate the case. Adriana herself isn't supposed to be told about the case because she's personally involved, but Antonio feels emotionally attached to her and tells her more than he should, helping her to investigate privately.

The film is lusciously set. The superstitious attitude of the citizens of Naples, in particular Adriana's family, confuses the investigations. It's a fascinating film that's worth seeing. So far there's no English language release, but be patient, it's inevitable.