Fatal Charm (1978)

- Poliziotto senza paura
I can't believe I'm saying this, but more Joan would have also been a plus for the film., 23 April 2006

Maurizio Merli plays a small-time private detective hired to find a missing girl. His hunt leads him to Austria and the case of a dead girl that he's sure is connected to the girl he's looking for. He learns that the girls were involved with a gang dealing in child prostitution. Merli has to get act fast if he's to save the life of the girl he's looking for.

The more I see of Maurizio Merli, the more I enjoy his performances. After my first experiences with him, I saw Merli as little more than a pretty-boy, Franco Nero wannabe. But recently, I've begun to see he's got a lot to offer of his own. He's as good in the action scenes as Nero and probably better at the more comedic moments. He shows both in Fatal Charm. Whether it's taking out the bad guys or pulling a scam on the local police, he's got real screen presence and a definite charm.

Fatal Charm (aka Fearless, aka Poliziotto senza paura, aka Magnum Cop) could have been so much better had the plot not been so muddled and confusing. Part of it may be due to the dubbing, but the film definitely goes off in tangents that would have been best left alone. It seems to take forever for Merli to get to the bottom of things. For example, there's a whole series of scenes with Merli playing up his operations to an Austrian detective. It's pointless and doesn't really work. A tighter script would have served Fatal Charm well.

My copy of Fatal Charm gives top billing to Joan Collins. And while her scenes are memorable (she gets naked for God's sake), she only has about 15 minutes of screen time. I can't believe I'm saying this, but more Joan would have also been a plus for the film.

5/10