In ‘7 Women and a Murder’ or ‘7 donne e un mistero’, seven women attempt to solve the murder of the patriarch, with each one of them very much a suspect. The Italian mystery-comedy film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
5 women of a family meet at their house: Susanna (Diana Del Bufalo), her mother Margherita (Margherita Buy), grandmother Rachele (Ornella Vanoni), sister Caterina (Benedetta Porcarolli) and aunt Agostina (Sabrina Impactiatore), who is Margherita’s sister.
They are joined by their maid, Maria (Luisa Ranieri). The six find themselves in the centre of a murder mystery when Margherita’s husband, Marcello, is found dead after being stabbed in the back.
A seventh suspect emerges after Veronica (Micaela Ramazzoti), Marcello’s old flame and current lover, arrives after receiving an anonymous phone call.
One after another, the motives of each of the women for the possible murder come to light, as the mystery keeps tangling. Who is the culprit?
Performances
Since the film is satirical in nature, none of the actors gets to display any nuance. Most of the performances are over the top and unconvincing. Only Del Bufalo, Vanoni, and Ranieri stand out from the cast.
Positives
The satire is enjoyable at the start. You quickly realise that this isn’t a run-of-the-mill murder mastery, being more on the quirky side.
Attempting this kind of narrative is definitely laudable. Some of the humour does come off as well and keeps it entertaining.
Negatives
The premise is interesting and had scope for deeper exploration of seven women deeply impacted by the decisions of one man.
Instead, it barely scratches the surface in commenting on the patriarchal nature of society. Even when it does, the instances feel more like a formality.
The film continues making fun of the characters, especially Agostina, without any substantial character development. It ends up being just another comedy.
Verdict
‘7 Women and a Murder’ is watchable, but nothing more. While the premise promises an exploration of women’s perspectives, this aspect never really picks up. This could have been executed much better.
7 Women and a Murder
Director: Alessandro Genovesi
Date Created: 2022-12-28 17:57
2.5
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