[REC] Review

Written by: BlackTequilaKiss

A pitch black room, a chocolate milkshake in one hand and popcorn in another. I press the play button and get ready for the mayhem of
[REC]. How do you know a horror movie is worth watching? It comes down to the simplicity of three things.

A great cast who have chemistry
A director who cares
And a storyline that works

This is where [REC] comes into the equation. I may be of a younger age than some but in my lifetime I have seen a fair old amount of horror movies. Ranging from the likes of Night of the Living Dead to the modern slasher of Scream. But this movie threw away all my expectations and left me psychically and emotionally stunned. At 75 minutes long it is one of the shortest horror movies I have seen in recent years.

It's a nice change. With so many studios and directors pawing for movies to get in at the 2 hour mark, it is wonderful to see a short movie that runs at an astonishing pace and keeps the memento going.

The premise is simple. Local TV Reporters are filming a bunch of fireman on night duty. All is quiet until they get a report of a woman trapped in her apartment.
However things take a twist when she bites one of the fire crew. Suddenly everyone in the building is battling against a horror they cannot comprehend. There's just one condition. No matter what happens they will keep recording the events.

I really enjoyed this movie! Movies that stick in my mind are the ones where my heart is pounding and my pulse is racing. Starting off slowly as it builds into the story I get acquainted with the characters and then the juggernaut of the movie takes centre stage and my heart begins pounding in my chest.

This reminds me why I love foreign attire when it comes to movies. They don't go for the usual blood, guts and gore but use suspense to the top of the game and it works so well especially in this movie.

CHARACTERS

Manuela Velasco (playing) Ángela Vidal:
I loved this actress, why? She is not quintessentially gorgeous and as an everyday woman feel to her. Therefore I was able to connect to her character without thinking about what she looked like. Playing a humorous character, she has an air of graciousness from the beginning. In the way she talks to members on camera she did not seem patronising and over the top but genuinely committed to her role. When things turn worse she turns into a woman terrified and scared, her transition is done effectively and beautiful and I just loved everything about the character and actress as an whole.

Ferran Terraza (playing) Manu: Strange choice but as one of the foremost fire-fighters I love how he moves from a brave hero to a man confused and lost amid a sea of confusion. Refusing to give in he plays his character to the absolute depths of despair and due to that he allows us to understand and care for his character even more. Brilliant actor.

Also special kudos has to go to Claudia Font as little girl, Jennifer. Pulling off a remarkable part she goes from the sweet young girl into a terrifying entity. To switch like she did shows the hallmark of a wonderful young actress and I have nothing but respect for her.

I'm not a major fan of the shaky hand-held camera effect but I don't begrudge it. Initially I admit I was worried that it would hinder the film but thankfully my worries were stripped away really quickly as I became engaged in the story.

The thuds and screams are what consist of anything musical. It's the bumps in the dark when the lights go off that are very intense.
I have to admit I loved David Ambit, the special effects man, he pulled off an amazing job of bringing to life the blood, tearing of necks, it was in tone with the movie and looked both horrific and gorgeous. He truly did an amazing job and it showed well in the space of the movie.

Direction? Well just the hand held camera and I have to admit it did a great job. In Cloverfield it disappointed me but in this tale the person at the end of the camera, Pablo, actually managed to capture the essences. The little moments that were designed to make us raise our hands to our mouths, the tiny gems amid everything he managed to keep his eye on it all and brought something beautiful to the plate in the process.

If there was one scene that truly creeped me out was the scene where Angela and Pablo enter the Penthouse. Dirty crowded rooms bearing a sinister secret atoned with the darkness make those scenes so hair-raising that I admit I was hiding behind the pillow.

I enjoyed every minute to the last pulsating second. With more chills and thrills than I've seen in some time this was a movie I do not regret watching.

Simply put? Absolutely fantastic! If you have seen it, *hugs*. If you haven't, watch it now! You will not regret this cinematic experience into terror. When crunch comes to crunch this was a enjoyable, intense and scary experience.

Wonderful!!