Argento worked with Ferrara on his little seen New Rose Hotel, and it's his influence that is much more keenly felt than Argento sr (although Dario and brother Claudio produce, and there's a cameo from Asia's mother Daria Nicolodi). But despite her determination to bare her soul (and body) on-screen, much of Scarlet Diva comes across as Ferrara-lite. Too many scenes that should be harrowing are given a hysterical, almost camp edge that threaten to throw the tone of the whole film, and virtually all the supporting cast are either cardboard cut-outs or caricatures, from Anna's abused best friend to performance artist Joe Coleman's lecherous Hollywood exec. That's not to say the performances are bad – most, with the exception of Jean Shepard's boringly enigmatic rock star Kirk, are pretty good. It's just that the material doesn't always serve them well.

That said, Argento shows real style as a director, and let's face it, story has never been her old man's strong point either. Shot on digital video, the film has an edgy, restless quality and many of the montages portraying the frequent mundanity of Anna's jet-setting lifestyle are superbly shot and edited. She uses music well too – there's a predominant smoky trip-hop score, although Nina Simone's rendition of 'Wild is the Wind' is used twice to haunting effect.

In the end, Anna seems to learn nothing from her experiences, and the film has little to say other than maybe 'famous people are vulnerable too', but there's more than enough promise here to suggest that as a director Argento should one day step out of her father's shadow. Oh, and fans of Michele Soavi's seminal slasher Stage Fright should watch for a cameo from David Brandon, who played the nasty director in that film, and reprises the exact same character here.