***SPOILER ALERT***
I wouldn't classify this as a horror flick, rather a mysterious thriller, full of suspense (that also includes drama). Unfortunately, I'm not fluent in Spanish, so I had to read the subtitles - however that did not take away from the movie one bit. A review on IMDB stated that "[Laura's] performance transcends the language barrier and makes you forget you're reading subtitles" and I totally agree!
Plot: A+
Laura (Belen Reuda), her husband and adopted son Simon (Roger Princep), who is HIV positive move into a home that had once been an orphanage that Laura herself lived in when she was a child. She hopes to build her home as a place for mentally challenged children. Simon makes friends with invisible children that happen to be the previous 'tenants' that haven't 'moved out'.
The story moved at a good pace and it really sets itself apart from other movies such as The Sixth Sense, The Ring, and The Others.
Script: A+
The script was solid (enough said!).
Acting: A+
There weren't really too many characters in this movie; every character present it the film, was there for a reason, so each character had a purpose (Benigna, Pilar, Aurora, Leo Bálaban, Enrique). The dad (Carlos; Fernando Cayo) didn't have a huge role in this, but nonetheless I really liked his portrayal of his character.
With typical Hollywood movies, you get a kid that's 10-12 that plays the role of a 5-7 year old; some times it works, most times, it doesn't. Not only was Simon (Roger Prinep) adorable, he was portraying a kid that was actually around his age; not to mention he acted his role VERY well (when he had to scream and get angry, when he had to laugh, when he had to pretend to talk to invisible kids, when he got 'slapped' in the face, ect); he was phenomenal and I haven't seen such wonderful acting by someone so young since Giorgio Cantarini as Giosué Orefice in 'Life Is Beautiful'.
As good as everyone was, nobody stood out more than Laura (Belen Rueda). My god, she truly carried this movie! She was so believable as a caring and grief stricken mother, that I got so drawn into her character; at times it seemed like I was watching a documentary rather than a movie. Even though there weren't too many characters to follow, they were so well developed that every aspect of the acting was perfect.
Cinematography/Costume: A+
The part in which the camera follows Laura and Simon's footsteps in the sand at the beach and pans out to a full shot was amazing (approximately ten minutes into the movie).
I loved some of the transitions between some shots - the editing was flawless.
Not only was the house stunning in every scene, but the creaky floors, banging on the wall and the faint footsteps all added to the overall atmosphere and gave the film an authentic, mysterious vibe.
All the costumes were wonderful: mainly the clothing worn by the children in the orphanage (otherwise, everything else was clothing worn nowadays). My favorite outfit has to be the sack that Tomas (Oscar Casas) had worn; it was SO creepy, and I got the shivers every time I saw it.
Music/Sound: A+
The music (the score) that was added defiantly complimented what was seen on screen. The sound effects were also done very well (the creaky floors, the footsteps, and others mentioned earlier).
Overall: A+
I loved the use of foreshadow in the movie; it was done in such a subtle way that I didn't find it predictable whatsoever. I also liked how everything that was put into the movie, had a place in the movie.
There were many tense/jumpy parts during the movie created through the audio and visual (but not all of them ended as you'd expect; in a good way). I felt that because each tense moment that didn't end with something actually happening, it made those parts in which something did actually happen, even more scary.
Every aspect of this film worked in harmony with one another and fell into place as if it was a piece of a puzzle: acting, editing, script, cinematography, costumes, the score and sound effects.
The fact that this film can give me goose bumps even after having watched it 3 or 4 times illustrates how brilliant this film really is. Highly recommended - a must see!
No comments:
Post a Comment