A
teenage girl by the name of Regina (Anna
Paquin) moves into a remote countryside
house in Spain with her family but her
family doesn't behave normally while
living there.
She realises that their new home has a
gloomy and terrifying past that threatens
to destory her family.
Her
father Mark (Iain Glen) has been behaving
crazy and abusive and also goes to the
hospital twice from having head problems.
Her little brother Paul (Stephan Enquist)
is drawing artwork with pencil crayons
and sometimes his pencil crayons rolls
under his bed and are apparently eaten by
some force under there.
Not only that, when his room is dark, his
toys turn on and he sees zombie like
children.
He also draws artwork of his family being
killed.
Regina
also sees dark images of people and
deadly pictures.
Plus their power goes out while the evil
happens. Then Regina and her boyfriend
tries to find out some missing clues
which is explained about the eclipse of
the sun that will occur a week before she
moved into the house with her family.
This was a well
done film but what a terrible ending!
This film borrows alot from Stephen
King's The Shining
as well as Dante Tomaselli's
flicks.
Truely creepy and disturbing.
Although this was made on a low budget,
it is better made than most Spanish
flicks which was where it was shot in.
The acting is very
good, especially by Canadian actress Anna
Paquin as she shows terrific
character and energy as a confused but a
caring teenage kid.
Lena Olin plays off perfectly as a
mother who doesn't know how to cope with
the terrifying events happening.
Iain Glen plays a good troubled
parent in the film losing his sanity and
has the perfect energy when he shows his
anger, frustration and abusive behavior
on set.
Child actor Stephan Enquist was
perfect as a nice typical kid with an
artistic ability to do sketch art with
his pencil crayons as he brings perfect
chemistry to his role.
Fele Martinez played a perfect
mysterious Grandfather in the film as you
wonder what he is all about in the story.
Supporting actor Giancarlo
Giannini was oerfect as a wise old
man knowing about the legends surrounding
the house as he shows perfect seriousness
to his part of the movie.
The directing by
Spanish filmmaker Jaume
Balagueró is
in terrific and strong taste making it
very psychological as well as
supernatural at the same time as he also
wrote this flick!
He made the young lead actors Anna
Paquin and Stephan Enquist look
good together having a nice sibling
conversations towards one another as it
looks heartwarming.
There was a nice and suspenseful moment
that involves Paquin taking a
bath and putting her head in the water
and Enquist drawing a picture
with his pencil crayons and then the
lights flicker and both react to
something that almost happens
supernaturally.
Iain
Glen reacts well in his car during a
traffic jam during a stormy weather
making out as if he is having a seisure.
There was a brief and powerful dialogue
between Paquin and Lena Olin
as they have a miscommunication with
one another and Olin shows nice
and stern actions towards Paquin which
looked good too making it almost look
believeably strange and slightly wicked.
Balagueró also made the
scenes look great like with the Enquist's
pencil crayon rolling towards under his
bed and then something terrifying happens
as well as Enquist in bed looking a
little spooked in the dark with his
belongings and other stuff moving around.
There is a real disturbing dispute
between Glen towards small actor
Craig Stevenson as an
electrician when he can't fix something
and Glen looked believeable
flying off the handle cussing him out.
We spot an intense dialogue sequence
between Olin and Glen
as he shows perfect attitude and
expressions as well as his energy
constantly cutting and dicing up a potato
as the camera shots on him and the potato
cutting was extremely suspenseful looking
and then there's deadly shots on other
events happening during this moment too
which adds well to this scene.
Glen is perfect going crazy hitting
his sons door demanding to have it opened
and Paquin going hysterics.
There's a perfect camera shot on Glen
holding a sledgehammer showing good
aggressions while we see a great
monologue tale performed by supporting
actor Fermi Reixach telling
Paquin and Fele Martinez
about the tale of the house as it gives a
good haunted feel to the plot.
There's a scene that will make you jump
as a phone rings loudly and Paquin
reacts to it spooked.
There is also a nice setting when Paquin
is standing in a dark hallway of the
house as well as string at an old odd
looking picture.
We also see a great and horrifying camera
shots on a subway streaming along the
tracks as well as Reixach inside
it with the lights flickering and his
reactions to it.
We spot a nice dark setting with Fele
Martinez standing somewhere near a
corner and then charging towards
Paquin.
Paquin looked good crying on set
while being tied to a chair with the
madness she is about to encounter with Martinez
about to do something to her as it looks
very cold.
There's a perfect shot on Enquist with
his bruised face and upset emotions when
he asks for a glass of water.
We see alot of insanity, haunting and
posessive moments in the house that
involves all Paquin, Olin,
Glen and Enquist quarter
way through the movie when an eclipse
happens which is Balagueró's most
strongest efforts in this film.
The music was composed by
Carles Cases and he did a descent
job with it having fine classic violin
playing and hissing and windy sound
effects too.
Mark
and Paul (While in a traffic
jam): Get-Your- Ass-Out-Of-My-Face
Mark:
In other words FUCK YOU right???
Carlos:
Where is Regina?
Albert Rua: At her house. In hell.
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