[.REC], a review by Jon
[.REC]
4 out of 5
A young reporter and her cameraman accompany the Spanish fire service to a routine call. Before they know it they are trapped in an apartment block by the authorities who refuse to let them out until an unspecified health scare has been neutralised.
Yet another home movie. What is it with filmmakers today? Are tripods too damn expensive? Released around the same time as Cloverfield and Diary of The Dead, and featuring a well-worn situation, originality was never going to be this movies strong point. But strong points it does have, comparing favourably with the other "authentic" handheld movies this year and The Blair Witch, probably to blame for the idea in the first place. In fact this is possibly the best horror movie released since The Descent.
The story is very basic, with only a handful of characters. The latter at least is unusual for a zombie movie, but in an enclosed space, it's more effective and apart from two, all the infected victims are characters we've been introduced to so it has more punch. The tension is heightened by the shadows of the people outside playing on the windows showing civilisation and safety is in spitting distance.
It's a credit to Rec, Diary and Cloverfield that all of them have been able to use the same basic idea without treading on each others toes and finding some hook: Diary, the least entertaining, had the most ambition with multi-source post-edited material and a bonkers cameraman; Cloverfield stretched the conceit to breaking point but had the nice idea of including bits of the previous recordings form a happier time; but Rec perhaps uses it to best effect, reducing it to a simple P.O.V. from Pablo the cameraman, making for a terrifying tour of a haunted house. It'll be a while before I peak in any lofts! None of them ever used the trick from Planet Terror though, which I loved (damaged film means a good portion of the story is missing).
You might assume that the DTS sound is limited because it's supposed to be an in-camera recording, but it's used very well. As the infected grab at the mike and muffle the sound; or you hear a scream from behind and Pablo spins around to look, the scream runs through your room. Visually there's plenty of jumps and shadows to explore. The light on the camera and night vision are used brilliantly.
The last act reveals some substance, with a play on the regular viral infection now including The Vatican dealing with a case of possession. So plenty of sequel bait! That's unusual for me. Two films in this marathon have left me salivating for a follow-up. At least that's happening here for definite, plus a remake already for those allergic to sub-titles. Do yourself a favour and try this first. At the very least, they aren't going to find a heroine anywhere near as cute as the wonderful Manuela Velasco. The bouncy little pig-tailed minx is far more attractive than Bruce Willis in the dirty vest look!
There are very few, if any, films that have actually scared me properly, especially in recent years. That's why I say it's the best since The Descent. They still don't have the power to make me sleep with the light on, but still, no films between those two have had me on the edge of my seat, jumping like a loon as much as this!
(From October Marathon: Horror! on October 13th, 2008)
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May 17, 2024, 10:29:30 PM
