skip to main |
skip to sidebar
¡QUÉ HORROR! 2012Candidate # 14DOROTHY MILLS(May 2008)
It’s frustrating that the marketing people couldn’t think of a better tagline for Agnès Merlet’s Dorothy Mills than “Evil Chose Her.”I’m not sure what that “better tagline” might be, but I’m fairly certain there’s one out there that would better represent what the film is really about.This sort of misleading tagline could either, a) drive off a certain section of the potential audience who might otherwise have enjoyed this kind of film, because they thought, quite mistakenly, that it was that kind of film; or, b) leave a certain section of the actual audience dissatisfied because they went into the movie thinking, quite mistakenly, that it was the kind of film the tagline was suggesting.Suffice it to say that Dorothy Mills isn’t the sort of horror movie you may think you’re getting with a tagline like “Evil Chose Her.” (I’m not even sure the Exorcist blurb from Variety makes things any better…)Ultimately, Dorothy Mills is a film about guilt and remorse, both personal and communal, and the terrible weight that accompanies its burden, with excellent central performances by Carice van Houten (seen more recently in Christopher Smith’s Black Death and in the upcoming second season of HBO’s Game of Thrones) and Jenn Murray (who subsequently appeared as Natalie in The Fades).(Dorothy Mills DVD cover art courtesy of anyclip.com.)
¡QUÉ HORROR! 2012Candidate # 13WAI DOR LEI AH YUT HO(DREAM HOME)(April 2010)
I think the most surprising thing about Pang Ho-Cheung’s Wai Dor Lei Ah Yut Ho isn’t the killer’s female gender, but that a film this gore-laden with over-the-top grue came to us from Hong Kong.Given a Category III rating in its Hong Kong release (no one below 18 years of age is allowed to see the film; pretty much the NC-17 rating in the United States) and still trimmed down a bit before its official theatre run, this one brings back fond memories of the slasher heyday in the ‘80’s, when the splatter was both audacious and inventive.Sure, there’s some slight commentary about the down economy and the housing shortage, but really, that’s just a little something to legitimize the violent on-screen madness.(Dream Home OS courtesy of impawards.com.)
THE DEVIL’S DOUBLE(Review)
Based on the life of Latif Yahia, Lee Tamahori’s The Devil’s Double showcases the acting prowess of Dominic Cooper, who plays both Yahia and Uday Saddam Hussein, whom Yahia happens to resemble, so much so, that he’s made an offer he simply can’t refuse: take the role of Uday’s double.From that point on, Yahia becomes engulfed in the delusions and distortions of the hellish hall of mirrors in which he’s been consigned.I first took note of Cooper in Nicholas Hytner’s film adaptation of The History Boys, where Cooper reprised the role he originated on stage, and he made an appearance more recently as Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger, but it’s here, in The Devil’s Double that he displays his steadily maturing acting chops, taking on the dual role with confidence and certitude, in a film that depicts the terrible consequences of power unchecked and the horrors of a life lived in servitude and fear.
(The Devil’s Double OS and UK quad courtesy of impawards.com.)
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE(Review)
“Something’s not quite right here. I’m not sure what, exactly. But something.”If anyone would have once told me that Sean Penn in Robert Smith drag would be such a heartbreaking sight, I’d’ve laughed in their faces.At the very least, I’m so glad that Paolo Sorrentino’s This Must Be the Place proved that assumption so very wrong.Here, Penn is Cheyenne, a singer who no longer sings and yet still retains a faded and tired echo of his rock star persona, who is forced to take a good long look at himself and his life when news of his father’s impending death reaches him.“Then, during the Inferno, we, too, from the other side of the barbed wire, we, too, looked at the snow, and at God.”While this is the sort of the film that is admittedly not to everyone’s tastes, if you do find it to your liking, you’ll discover that it’s both funny and poignant in perhaps equal measure. It’s a film full of oddities and grace notes found in the unlikeliest of places.Like Liev Schreiber’s adaptation of Everything Is Illuminated, the narrative arc of This Must Be the Place takes the form of a journey, as Penn’s frazzle-haired, eyelinered and lipsticked Cheyenne takes a road trip through the United States in an attempt to come to terms with his estranged relationship with his father, a Holocaust survivor. It’s a journey that’s as much temporal and psychic as it is geographical and physical, with Penn’s excellent portrayal as its riveting lynchpin.Some 39 minutes into its running time, you’ll find what should very well have been Penn’s Oscar Clip, but alas, This Must Be The Place was just one of a number of titles overlooked by the Academy Awards this year… (And if that clip won’t do, the brief and fleeting look of deep, existential despair Penn flashes at the mention of Mariah Carey’s name would do nicely as well.)And while there are also notable performances in here by Frances McDormand and Shea Whigham, and oh-so-briefly, Harry Dean Stanton, and original music by David Byrne (who also appears as himself), it’s Penn you’re really gonna come in to see.And, even if you aren’t particularly a Sean Penn fan, if you’re a Robert Smith/Cure fan, or even a David Byrne/Talking Heads fan, this one should be on your radar too.“Home is where I want to be… but I guess I’m already there.”-- Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place”
(This Must Be the Place OS and UK quad courtesy of impawards.com.)
¡QUÉ HORROR! 2012Candidate # 12MIENTRAS DUERMES(SLEEP TIGHT)(September 2011)
As it turns out, Para Entrar A Vivir (¡Qué Horror! 2012 Candidate #10) didn’t have to tide me over for too long before I luxuriated in my next Jaume Balagueró fix.In Mientras Duermes, Clara (Marta Etura) is waking up groggy and progressively out of sorts, and is being harassed by text messages, email, and yes, apparently even snail mail.
Clara’s got an obsessed stalker, and he’s a lot closer than she might expect.Scripted by Alberto Marini (who co-wrote Para Entrar A Vivir with Balagueró), this one has a similar premise to the recently reconstituted Hammer production, The Resident, the difference being, Balagueró and Marini handle the material a lot more intelligently, creating a disturbing portrait of a sociopath who should be quite at home in this day and age of haters and Schadenfreude.And while this dark little number is yet another Balagueró film that I love, I will admit to missing his collaborating with Xavi Giménez; Pablo Rosso has been Balagueró’s go-to cinematographer since Para Entrar A Vivir.Of course, Giménez has gone on to directing, and I’ve been trying my darnedest to check out his feature directorial debut, Cruzando El Limite (Yellow), so maybe, everyone concerned is just spreading the love and astounding talent around a little more…Rosso, after all, is one mean shooter too, what, with all the tricksy stuff he pulled off in the [REC] films.So, while I eagerly await Paco Plaza’s [REC] 3: Génesis (and, quite naturally, Balagueró’s [REC] 4: Apocalypse), it’s Mientras Duermes’ turn to keep me all warm and snugly…Allow it to do the same for you.
(Mientras Duermes and Sleep Tight OS’ courtesy of impawards.com.)
¡QUÉ HORROR! 2012Candidate # 10PARA ENTRAR A VIVIR(TO LET)(March 2006)
Since I’m proud to be a self-confessed Jaume Balagueró slut, it shames me to admit that it’s only now that I’ve finally gotten around to checking out the Filmax/Telecinco TV co-production, Peliculas Para No Dormir (6 Films to Keep You Awake), in particular, Balagueró’s contribution, Para Entrar A Vivir, which he directed between Frágiles and his collaboration with Paco Plaza on [REC].Following the travails of a young couple (played by Dagon's Macarena Gómez and Adrià Collado) as they check out an apartment, this one turns out to be a twisted little number, a nasty piece of work that should tide me over till I get a chance to see Mientras Duermes (Sleep Tight).If you haven’t seen this one yet, please do.
Parting shot: These six television movies looked back to the original ‘60’s TV series, Peliculas Para No Dormir, and one of the 6 Films, La Culpa (Blame), was in fact directed by the show’s creator, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador. Parting shot 2: Reviews of Balagueró’s other feature films can be found lurking in the Archive.(Para Entrar A Vivir DVD cover art courtesy of aullidos.com; Peliculas Para No Dormir screenshot courtesy of moviescreenshots.blogspot.com.)
