Reflection in a Dead Diamond

Revelling its playful 1960s Eurospy genre blended with a bloody, almost gory, edge, the lush and languid Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Reflet dans un diamant mort) is a cinematic pleasure, directed by style (and respect) by Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani. Former spy John (Italian legend Fabio Testi) lives in luxury in a splendid hotel on the Cote d’Azur, but becomes intrigued by the woman in the room next door who reminds him of his wild years on the Riviera in the 1960s. The film juggles flashbacks (or perhaps fantasies) of his glamorous ‘man of mystery life’ with him trying to unravel puzzles of his past.