David O'Connell[REC]
October 31st 2008 02:41
Maintaining the recent standard of quality chillers from Spain - after the success of The Orphanage - comes the dazzling [REC] from directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza. Unlike The Orphanage however, with its heavy reliance on atmospheric hauntings and distinct lack of arterial sprays, the bloodletting is more pronounced here.
Balaguero’s solo effort from 2002, Darkness – an unlikely horror vehicle for Anna Paquin - was disappointingly conventional, but here he raises the bar and perhaps even surpasses his most obvious influences in 28 Days Later, The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield.
Manuela Velasco stars as reporter Angela Vidal, who along with her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rossi), is covering a typical night in the life of a fire station. Excitement begins when they’re assigned to two firemen as a call comes through, their chance to enervate their - up until now - boring story with its first hint of adventure.
They’re soon at an apartment building where screams have been heard from an eccentric old lady’s apartment. Two police officers are already in attendance and before long hell breaks loose once the confused, blood-soaked woman, roaming in an incoherent delirium, attacks one of the officers by biting his neck.
In the ensuing confusion, attempting to race him out of the building to safety, they discover authorities have sealed the exits in a radical and hasty quarantine to contain the outbreak of an unspecified disease.
The pair is now trapped in despair and confusion with the remaining residents, the firemen, and a rampaging virus of some sort, and within hours things will swiftly begin to head downhill!
Films which rely on fly-on-the-wall video recorder testimony are bound to suffer bouts of tedium whilst providing the narrative with some semblance of realistic structure, and moments for characters to breathe; [REC] is no different, with a middle section of dwindling interest as confusion sets in and Angela interviews the building's residents in an attempt to comprehend what's happening to them.
But over the last 25 minutes comes the stunning redemption with a no-holds barred, race to the finish line – a kinetic, non-stop, nightmarishly sustained set-piece which sweeps you along with its magnetic energy and oppressive atmosphere, holding your breath in discomfort!.
The last 10 minutes of this slender 70 minute film features one of the most truly terrifying, heart-stopping sequences I’ve ever seen as Angela and Pablo enter the upper story penthouse.
As with the most exhilarating, visceral works of this type, the circumstances or reasons for the scenario are arbitrary – the impact on the viewer becomes wholly reliant on technique and execution.
[REC] succeeds then, and brilliantly too, in every way, and even though it bears the mark of George Romero, his imitators, Blair Witch, Cloverfield, and - most explicitly and chillingly in the end – The Exorcist, it does what any great horror film should be capable of doing – it repels, terrifies and entertains!
The American remake, Quarantine, arriving next month, has a hell of a lot to live up to!
Balaguero’s solo effort from 2002, Darkness – an unlikely horror vehicle for Anna Paquin - was disappointingly conventional, but here he raises the bar and perhaps even surpasses his most obvious influences in 28 Days Later, The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield.
Manuela Velasco stars as reporter Angela Vidal, who along with her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rossi), is covering a typical night in the life of a fire station. Excitement begins when they’re assigned to two firemen as a call comes through, their chance to enervate their - up until now - boring story with its first hint of adventure.
They’re soon at an apartment building where screams have been heard from an eccentric old lady’s apartment. Two police officers are already in attendance and before long hell breaks loose once the confused, blood-soaked woman, roaming in an incoherent delirium, attacks one of the officers by biting his neck.
The terror begins with a blood-soaked old lady!
In the ensuing confusion, attempting to race him out of the building to safety, they discover authorities have sealed the exits in a radical and hasty quarantine to contain the outbreak of an unspecified disease.
The pair is now trapped in despair and confusion with the remaining residents, the firemen, and a rampaging virus of some sort, and within hours things will swiftly begin to head downhill!
Angela interviews a confused child named Jennifer
Films which rely on fly-on-the-wall video recorder testimony are bound to suffer bouts of tedium whilst providing the narrative with some semblance of realistic structure, and moments for characters to breathe; [REC] is no different, with a middle section of dwindling interest as confusion sets in and Angela interviews the building's residents in an attempt to comprehend what's happening to them.
But over the last 25 minutes comes the stunning redemption with a no-holds barred, race to the finish line – a kinetic, non-stop, nightmarishly sustained set-piece which sweeps you along with its magnetic energy and oppressive atmosphere, holding your breath in discomfort!.
The last 10 minutes of this slender 70 minute film features one of the most truly terrifying, heart-stopping sequences I’ve ever seen as Angela and Pablo enter the upper story penthouse.
As with the most exhilarating, visceral works of this type, the circumstances or reasons for the scenario are arbitrary – the impact on the viewer becomes wholly reliant on technique and execution.
[REC] succeeds then, and brilliantly too, in every way, and even though it bears the mark of George Romero, his imitators, Blair Witch, Cloverfield, and - most explicitly and chillingly in the end – The Exorcist, it does what any great horror film should be capable of doing – it repels, terrifies and entertains!
The American remake, Quarantine, arriving next month, has a hell of a lot to live up to!
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
yeah, I was quite impressed with this too (see here for my review) ... Looks like the American version Quarantine is a shot for shot remake. They've even included the brilliant final shot in the trailer!! Terrible!
I loved The Orphanage too.
Gotta say your movie blog selections (and reviews) are some of the best on Orble. A man with great taste in cinema, who writes intelligently and succinctly.
cheers dude, have a great Halloween and weekend.
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I don't really review as many horror films as I'd like to considering how much I love them (and probably feel like I'd only be covering ground you've already covered anyway!), but considering what day it is, I couldn't not review one today!
Great review of [REC] as well, and you hit the nail on the head with the use of one word which I loved - feverish! The perfect way to sum up that last 25 minutes. (I agree with your point about the blood being a bit unconvincing too.)
That's ridiculous with the Quarantine trailer, I haven't seen it yet, but how typical of American trailers giving away major spoilers, it seems to be a regular occurance these days!
Have a great one too mate.