Town Herald Reviews
The Story: When you are the only
boy who managed to escape from some kind of ritual in some place of Spain, going
back to the place where that happened forty years later it's probably not a good
idea.
Mark is that kid. Mark is the only survivor of seven children kidnapped forty
years before the beginning of our story, a success that was commented a lot on
its moment, but that because of the lack of information and the weird, almost
fantastic, facts that surrounded it, has been totally forgotten.
Now he's a grown up man, with a family on his own, wife, daughter and a son. And
he moves back from the States, to the same zone of Spain where he lived as a
child. The problem is, that is also the place where he first disappeared.
Soon, his old traumas reappear, his anger attacks are as common as they used to
be. Which may have something to do with his son waking up every morning with
bruises and haematomas. All that while his wife leaves in total denial of how
the family is breaking apart.
Only Regina, the daughter, seems to be able to understand that, when pencils
move on their own, record players turn on by their own decision and the shadows
themselves seem to be more alive than the human beings, something is going
wrong. Really wrong. Deadly wrong.
Now, along with her boyfriend, she'll try to solve the mystery, more out of pure
self defence than curiosity. And her grandfather will also be there. But...
Information isn't freely given in this dark period and getting things straight
won't be easy. And the faceless children are getting slowly into place.
The Good Points: Have you noticed
how a bad end can kill a really great movie? Or, at least, leave you with a
bitter aftertaste. Did you wished that you had pressed stop ten seconds before
the end in “Identity”? Well, in this movie happens the exact opposite. The end
turns this “not-so-especi al” movie (a movie that is ok in almost every aspect,
entertaining and everything, just not unforgettable) into something that
deserves to be seen. In one word: PERFECT.
The Bad Points: Anne Paquin is lacking a little on
the emotional side, too inexpressive sometimes. And the same happens with Lena
Olin.
But that's not a big problem. The only thing to be remarked (and I love finding
bad things about movies) is that despite the fact that the movie happens in
Spain (and was filmed there, at least in part, being as it is a co-production),
nothing marks the place as Spain. Everybody talks English, without accent!
C'mon! But it's not really important.
Greatest Moment: Please, just go
back a few lines and read the part about the end of the movie. And let me say it
again: perfect. And, by the way, another word: tunnels.
Stupidest Moment: Regina's
boyfriend runs blindly (in a manner of speaking) into the lion's den... again, a
manner of speaking, since it's not really a lion, but... Umm, I'm not going to
spoil the not so surprising twist. But just let me give you a recommendation :
when you are almost sure that somebody is trying to make satanic rituals, don't
let yourself be trapped by this somebody.
All in All: When hope is gone, we
are left out in the dark, with no chance to win.