I was hesitant to write a review of this film. Normally, I make kind of a rule with myself that if a movie isn't really my 'Kind' of film, I shouldn't come here and give it a poor rating just because it simply didn't do anything FOR ME. However, I think that objectively as a film itself, I should at least mention a few things that I noticed while watching it.
Firstly, as mentioned in my Summary, the film does indeed look lovely. Right from the beginning credits, it had some of the most stunning aerial shots that I have ever seen; the detail was breath-taking. And, the Blu-ray itself is beautiful.
There are a LOT of Spanish films that I really do like, especially ones directed by Guillermo Del Toro and his protégés (I really LOVED 'THE ORPHANAGE') So, I would like to THINK that I am somewhat familiar with their films. But... there was just something about this movie that I personally felt made it come across as lifeless and cold. Scene to scene, it just seemed to me that even after about an hour, everyone's dialog sounded almost EXACTLY the same. The same delivery... the same unemotional, monotone... ALL exactly the same... So, the acting, to me anyway, honestly just seemed rather one-note and bland and ultimately pretty uninvolving.
Now, there are a number of films that I really like, even some among my favourites, that may have a very unemotional approach. Some of Stanley Kubrick's films are that way. Certainly Mamet's style is usually quite cold, even his dialog (sharp as it is) sounding somewhat monotonous at times. BUT... there is a difference; at least to me. In those cases, you have either an underlying sharpness to the characters or the dialog in itself is really good, despite the fact that it may be delivered in a cold monotone. But, in this film, it just seemed like everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was walking around in this cold, almost Zombie-like state, reciting their lines as if they had just been given a combination shot of Novocaine, Heroin, and Sodium Pentothal.
Seriously...
I mean, the crimes themselves were of course intriguing. But, even the way they were staged and the way the 2 primary cops were investigating, including the pacing, were just bloody, mind-numbingly monotonous. Now, as I said at the very beginning, it may be that I personally just do NOT get exactly what they are trying to do here. I don't know... I am genuinely puzzled by the other 7 RAVE reviews here, which make me honestly feel that I might be missing something. That may very well be...
But, although the movie is beautiful to look at, and the Blu-ray is stunning in every way, and technically everything appears to be very competently done, the end result is that I am sitting here after a full hour and I'm completely unmoved, uninterested, and fully uninvolved. I just simply don't care about what anyone says and nothing really of any real emotional substance or weight seems to happen at all...
Now, I WILL say that the soundtrack is quite good. I REALLY did like the almost continuous ambient sound. It was the ONE thing (to me the ONLY thing, really) that created ANY kind of mood at all. The heavy and portentous soundtrack really contributed to a strong, dark, and uneasy mood. I thought THAT was awesome! BUT... other that that, I honestly didn't feel that much else was going on.
So, I gave the film a '6' which I feel at least reflects the technical expertise and the effective mood they created. And, even though the film quite honestly ended up doing absolutely NOTHING for me personally, perhaps others will appreciate the overall mood and what the film makers were going for and will enjoy whatever it was that I evidently missed. I will have to keep an eye on the reviews for this film because I am curious as to whether anyone else will feel the same way as I did when I watched it or if they got the same impressions that I did from it...
Firstly, as mentioned in my Summary, the film does indeed look lovely. Right from the beginning credits, it had some of the most stunning aerial shots that I have ever seen; the detail was breath-taking. And, the Blu-ray itself is beautiful.
There are a LOT of Spanish films that I really do like, especially ones directed by Guillermo Del Toro and his protégés (I really LOVED 'THE ORPHANAGE') So, I would like to THINK that I am somewhat familiar with their films. But... there was just something about this movie that I personally felt made it come across as lifeless and cold. Scene to scene, it just seemed to me that even after about an hour, everyone's dialog sounded almost EXACTLY the same. The same delivery... the same unemotional, monotone... ALL exactly the same... So, the acting, to me anyway, honestly just seemed rather one-note and bland and ultimately pretty uninvolving.
Now, there are a number of films that I really like, even some among my favourites, that may have a very unemotional approach. Some of Stanley Kubrick's films are that way. Certainly Mamet's style is usually quite cold, even his dialog (sharp as it is) sounding somewhat monotonous at times. BUT... there is a difference; at least to me. In those cases, you have either an underlying sharpness to the characters or the dialog in itself is really good, despite the fact that it may be delivered in a cold monotone. But, in this film, it just seemed like everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was walking around in this cold, almost Zombie-like state, reciting their lines as if they had just been given a combination shot of Novocaine, Heroin, and Sodium Pentothal.
Seriously...
I mean, the crimes themselves were of course intriguing. But, even the way they were staged and the way the 2 primary cops were investigating, including the pacing, were just bloody, mind-numbingly monotonous. Now, as I said at the very beginning, it may be that I personally just do NOT get exactly what they are trying to do here. I don't know... I am genuinely puzzled by the other 7 RAVE reviews here, which make me honestly feel that I might be missing something. That may very well be...
But, although the movie is beautiful to look at, and the Blu-ray is stunning in every way, and technically everything appears to be very competently done, the end result is that I am sitting here after a full hour and I'm completely unmoved, uninterested, and fully uninvolved. I just simply don't care about what anyone says and nothing really of any real emotional substance or weight seems to happen at all...
Now, I WILL say that the soundtrack is quite good. I REALLY did like the almost continuous ambient sound. It was the ONE thing (to me the ONLY thing, really) that created ANY kind of mood at all. The heavy and portentous soundtrack really contributed to a strong, dark, and uneasy mood. I thought THAT was awesome! BUT... other that that, I honestly didn't feel that much else was going on.
So, I gave the film a '6' which I feel at least reflects the technical expertise and the effective mood they created. And, even though the film quite honestly ended up doing absolutely NOTHING for me personally, perhaps others will appreciate the overall mood and what the film makers were going for and will enjoy whatever it was that I evidently missed. I will have to keep an eye on the reviews for this film because I am curious as to whether anyone else will feel the same way as I did when I watched it or if they got the same impressions that I did from it...