CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Borserie it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

gridoon2018 "Puzzle" poses a number of questions, the most burning of which may be: is it possible to forget that you are married to Senta Berger, EVEN IF you are suffering from amnesia? Senta has put on some muscle since her earlier years and, IMO, she looks better here than she ever has before - she is breathtaking in some shots. More of a crime thriller than a giallo (which is what the DVD cover advertises it as), "Puzzle" manages to stay at least moderately interesting most of the way, until its suspenseful and quite bloody climax. The Italian locations (Portofino) help a lot. It's not a "must-see" picture, but for Senta Berger fans especially it is worth a look. **1/2 out of 4.

Coventry Duccio Tessari really ought to be applauded for this truly proficient but sadly still neglected Giallo-achievement! I sincerely hope this film receives a properly legit and worldwide DVD-release soon, because avid fans of the genre are guaranteed to get a kick out of it. "Puzzle" is already available in France (or at least in the French speaking part of Belgium; where I got it), even though the transfer to disc is fairly rudimentary and inconspicuous. "Puzzle" embraces all the regular elements Giallo-devotees anticipate, like convoluted plot twists and a couple of bloody murders, but truly remarkable is the high number of nail-biting suspense moments. Tessari invokes a nearly indescribably nerve-racking ambiance from the start of the film and gradually builds up the edginess towards a masterful climax. Even some of the widely acclaimed directors in the genre, like Dario Argento or Sergio Martino, never managed to include this much genuine tension in their masterpieces. And yet, the basic plot outline of this film isn't *that* original or revolutionary. In fact, the plot largely exists of typical and even clichéd themes, like a protagonist suffering from amnesia, the involvement of beautiful women and a large scaled drug-smuggling crime network, but somehow Ernesto Gastaldi's screenplay continuously feels refreshing. The fairly complex structure and unexpected plot twists also always stay several steps ahead of you ... indeed, like a hard-to-solve puzzle. I wouldn't even think of elaborating on the plot too much, as it's really convoluted and twisted and I don't want to be the one spoiling it for you. I can briefly mention that the lead character, Edward, has been living in England for at least the past eight months and, as the result an accident, he remembers absolutely nothing of his past. He's lured to Italy, where he apparently also has a gorgeous wife, by a suspicious individual who repeatedly forces Edward to remember stuff. Who is this man and why does he so desperately want to bring Edward's memory back? What vicious affair was Edward involved in to begin with and is his lovely wife Sara honestly as innocent as she pretends? "Puzzle" is a non-stop challenging and solidly scripted Giallo highlight, and even if the plot contains some holes or improbabilities (which it probably did), I personally was too excited and entertained to make notice of them. The film surprisingly enough doesn't feature any sexual footage, but the soundtrack is wonderful and particularly the exterior filming locations are stunning. "Puzzle" also isn't as gory as most contemporary Giallo, but nonetheless there are some noteworthy peaks of brutality (the slaughter of a harmless little dog) and massive bloodshed (chainsaw-finale, anyone?). Supreme acting performances as well, with Poliziottesco-regular Luc Merenda ("The Violent Professionals", "The Kidnap Syndicate"), beauty queen Senta Berger, and a brief but important appearance by Giallo princess Anita Strindberg ("A Lizard in a Woman's Skin", "Who Saw Her Die?") … Oh, and Duilio Cruciani is probably my pick for the LEAST annoying child-actor ever. He's actually quite good and convincing. Highly recommended!

Schwenkstar This little seen thriller is a solid entry into the giallo canon that was directed by Duccio Tessari (who did the equally good "The Bloodstained Butterfly") and written by Ernesto Gastaldi (who is the iconic writer of the giallo genre).The narrative features an interesting narrative hook (a man can't remember who he is and now thugs are after him for something he hid... and he doesn't know where it is, let alone *what* it is). Unfortunately, the film doesn't utilize its intriguing plot premise to the fullest, with essentially the amnesia element pushed aside for most of the movie, and instead relies on more conventional means of telling the story. Fortunately, the writer manages to more successfully integrate the amnesia element towards the end which allow for a few plot twists, but not to the degree it could have achieved.The direction is fine but nothing exemplary, and the performances are all solid but not particularly memorable. In other words, everything is competent and efficient, but it doesn't really standout from the majority of thrillers that saturate our viewing repertoire.However, it certainly is an above average example of the giallo genre, with narrative that is better than most gialli and even has a terrific climax, but it's also certainly not a classic film in any respect.Highly recommended for giallo fans, a solid recommendation to thriller aficionados, but others may wish to simply view a better example of the genre, such as "Deep Red".Also, the film references Stanley Donan's film "Charade", see if you can catch it...

Richard_Harland_Smith In London, an amnesiac is abducted and beaten by a stranger who calls him a "dirty son of a double-crosser." When a sniper's bullet kills his attacker, the amnesiac flees the country with airline tickets provided by a wife he never knew he had. Arriving in Portofino, the amnesiac is called a "dirty rotten bastard" by his wife, and threatened by another stranger to return a million dollars in uncut heroin - or die. Duccio Tessari's stylish L'UOMO SENZA MEMORIA/MAN WITHOUT A MEMORY, aka PUZZLE (1974), tears a page or two from Terence Young's WAIT UNTIL DARK, substituting for sightlessness a memory loss that seems self-willed. The more the amnesiac (Luc Merenda) learns of his past, the more he wants to forget (Hal Hartley's indie AMATEUR mined similar territory twenty years later). Tessari (A PISTOL FOR RINGO, DEATH OCCURRED LAST NIGHT, THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY) and scenarist Ernesto Gastaldi (WEREWOLF IN A GIRL'S DORMITORY, TORSO) make the principal characters surprisingly likeable for giallo pawns and the derivativeness of the narrative is offset by a series of nicely staged setpieces (a razor slashing predates Angie Dickinson's postcoital comeuppance in Brian DePalma's DRESSED TO KILL by more than half a decade). Senta Berger proves an above average heroine, and even gets to brandish a chainsaw in the film's tense conclusion. This film won't convert any new fans to the giallo genre, but should provide an invigorating diversion to those familiar with the rules of the game.