Review of I Am What I Am

What a beast of a giallo. Good? That depends. I "Liked" it. Yes. I liked the music. The actors. I wasn't even sure what Bernard did for a living until he said he was an actor and that wasn't confirmed until later from a comment by his friend David. He got involved in a murder mystery because He fell hard after seeing this girl, Jane (Ewa Aulin) in a club he frequented. She was with her step-mom, brother Jerome and and man. After an exposition dump by a club patron, Jane vanished. Bernard goes to see the club's owner because his credit is cut off. He finds the club owner dead. Jane is hiding in the shadows of the office. She says she is innocent. Then there is some nonsense about her recently run down Dad being blackmailed by the dead club owner.... and we're off. Kidnapping, car chases, running chases, chases in subway stations, a little man, a big man. guns. photography studios. a little sex. a little nudity. very brief Batman '66 sound effects when someone is punched. (no kidding). the director lingers on a Lobby Card for Blow Up. Yeah. One thing I liked was done twice. Bernard and Jane RACE! down metal staircases and it sounds like a drum solo. Neat. Then Bernard tries to play a drum solo. Silly. There's a "Me Tarzan" gag when she says her name is Jane. There there is a callback to the same gag later in the film. Yes, there are brief "comedy bits" in this giallo along with beatings and murders. It's so weird. But I was engrossed by it. I actually like this film. It's swinging London when London was swinging. There's a long scene near the end of Bernard and Jane looking for "step mom" at a "happening" or I guess a very large club. The place was huge. The whole film happens over 36 hours or so? That seems wrong, but you kinda get that impression. Nobody takes time to eat. It's one set piece to the next. That's a minor flaw. It's so fast. Almost too fast and when it is over you still think there is MORE TO ALL THIS. A very generous 6.5 out of 10. 8 out of 10 for the song "Love Girl" It sounds great on DVD, but bad on YouTube. Bummer. Oh, and Ewa Aulin reminds me constantly of Goldie Hawn during her Laugh-In days. That's Another thing. This character was 17 and very sexually active. You feel creepy finding this out and seeing her have sex with Bernard (often) and finding out that she has other lovers.. Dang. I know it's "Swinging London", but geez girl. Slow Down.