This 95-minute film is a skilled attempt at the gentler, more analytical (i.e. less gory) end of the horror spectrum, let?s say moody horror, and I have found that Europeans do it well. Classed as a thriller, and I can?t knock this categorization, it is definitely watchable, relying on a growing sense of mystery rather than litres of blood to entertain an audience. Some may know the French actress, Virginie Ledoyen, from her Loreal advertisements that screened here for a very short time a couple of years back ? or so it feels! The name stuck in my head as I wondered at the time (until now!) who the hell she was, but now I can say that I have seen a French/Romanian collaboration in which she stars. Ledoyen is effective as the accidental heroine/paranormal investigator of the piece who is thrown into a very insular and largely unfriendly environment and is inevitably drawn into the strange goings-on, arguably to the point of obsession. Her growing fearlessness slowly drew me in, yet her vulnerability was very much on my mind throughout the film. This created a definite point of tension that kept me in anticipation of the final outcome. You just KNOW something really unusual is eventually going to happen. The pace is SLOW, and the music, sets and (few) supporting characters only added to the menacing feeling that they all know more than they are letting on.

Set in a long abandoned orphanage (except for a few weary souls with no-where else to go) the mood is bleak and isolating, and is perfect for the spooky story that unfolds within its? walls. Fans of cinematic subtleties will rejoice, and the scenes are shot with typical (French) attention to imagination and artistry, not only of plot, but also visually. I think the film relies to a great extent on the silence and solitude of the setting to develop a deepening suspense, such that, by the final third of the film, I found the revelations to be thoroughly interesting. As there are very few characters to focus on, part of the charm of this film is the degree of attention you find yourself paying to the dialogue of these characters as you look for clues to make sense of what is happening.

I have to say that I was not entirely sure if I had missed some subtle cues at critical points in the playing out of this story, or whether the story was, for me, simply marred by lapses of direction and clarity, but there were a few points in the film where I found myself a little confused. Perhaps then, one criticism is that the film?s director could have sacrificed just a little of his ?subtle? art in favour of tighter control over the pace of the developing plot, which really does meander when compared to the more slick, no nonsense Japanese horror/suspense films like ?The Ring? and ?The Grudge?, which I really enjoyed. Still, when compared to the many recent, less inspired attempts at giving people the creeps without gore, this is a reasonable example. I really liked the ending, by the way, although it could?ve done without a couple of the more over-the-top effects that really weren?t necessary ? maybe the fear was that the audience wouldn?t ?get it? otherwise?!

The story in a nutshell, without blowing the plot, follows:

A young woman comes to the sleepy, near-abandoned orphanage of St Ange to work as a live-in cleaner. It soon becomes evident that, within these walls, a long-held secret is straining to be heard, yet the only other permanent residents (a long-serving cook and a disturbed young woman) appear oblivious to their strange environment. The inquisitive nature of the newcomer stirs up unpleasant memories in these two women, and, as an uneasy truce develops between them all, and secrets are slowly revealed, allegiances change and the house itself begins to make its? presence felt more strongly. This newcomer is the catalyst for a dangerous transformation that culminates in a surprising struggle for truth, which comes at a price.

THE EXTRAS

Well ? nothing beyond the basics, but I don?t have a problem with this. Primarily, a film will speak for itself. Good extras are a bonus, but not a necessity.

CONCLUSION

I got a kick out of this 2004 suspense/thriller; a French/Romanian film collaboration. Read the review for a rundown of the plot. It?s watchable, but not in the same league as some of the more recent Japanese horror/suspense films like ?The Ring? and ?The Grudge?. Relying on subtleties and a slow plot development in order to build to a conclusion (which some may view as a fault, especially younger viewers), it?s not too bad overall, although the effects employed at the end of the film are not necessary to convey what has happened. Basic extras.