Malveillance

After big summer blockbusters, I think it's time to turn to a more thought-provoking European movies, and Mientras Duermes is a perfect choice. We have seen a multitude of Spanish movies that are excellent but somehow they don't reach any of the viewers and instead rot in the video stores (I guess they still exist...). What is fascinating (fascinating, this movie form is alive) about them are the plots and general ideas that are so whacked out and original that it's mind boggling. And lets be perfectly clear, these are not some straight-to-DVD movies with small budget and amateur actors, but a full-bloodied cinema masterpieces, with phenomenal actors and immaculate scripts. Immediately after watching Mientras Duermes I checked out what other movies did this talented crew created and Celda 211 was my first choice. I haven't watched it yet, but it seems like a damn fine movie.

I was talking about the originality and the pureness of the ideas in European cinema, and if you remember a couple months earlier I reviewed El Habitante Incierto, another phenomenal Spanish movie with a great script. Sleep Tight or Mientras Duermes, is a Spanish movie and I implore you to see the original version in Spanish as with any other movie that has a dubbed version, no matter how good the dubbing is, it's still not the real thing. One more thing about this movie is very disturbing and that is the sympathy for Cesar that I felt throughout the movie, although I maybe shouldn't. The suspense, the twists, the acting... I could go on and on telling you how good this movie is and how the atmosphere has that special vibe, that space-time continuum thingy captured, so every time you decide to watch it, you will relive it...

You probably noticed that the half of the review space has gone in some gibberish and not a word was said about the actual movie, and the reason for this is that I am afraid to say almost anything because it might ruin your viewing experience. I dived into this, now already cult, movie without any informations and was amazed, and so far everyone that have seen it had the same reaction. Some scenes where Cesar is trying to avoid detection are nerve-wrecking and so intense that I felt like I was going through it all. But still, here's something to keep you going: César works as a janitor in a building and is pretty much disappointed in life. He has no friends nor a girlfriend, no interests and nothing to make him happy, just his menial work and the smiling faces of other people who seem to be doing just fine. One of them is Clara, a beautiful girl living in the same building. Soon she becomes a subject of obsession for Cesar and to what degree this goes is up to you to find out...

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¨Sleep Tight¨ is both an intense , intriguing and an exciting portrait of subdued madness . ¨Mientras Duermes¨ (the official English title is Sleep tight , but the correct translation is "while you sleep", which to me is far more creepy) lives up to Jaume Balaguero's reputation . This interesting film deals with Cesar (Luis Tosar) , a lone man being incapable of happiness . The residents of the building where Cesar works as a concierge are not aware of the overtime he has been putting in . Apparently, he is at their service both day and night . Before the sun even has a chance to get its morning coffee , César is climbing out of bed , the sympathetic Clara (Marta Etura) still sleeping deeply beside him . When we meet César, he is lying in bed next to the gorgeous girl . He says as much in Sleep's opening voice-over as he stands at a rooftop's edge . He's a sad doorman at an upper crust apartment complex , but , despite he cannot be happy , Cesar goes about his work with dignified class . The adorable Clara is César's polar opposite , she is full of happiness . She is a likable tenant in the apartment building and her gladness is insistent and contagious . But when her boyfriend (Alberto San Juan) arrives in the building the events go wrong .

While Balaguero earlier films focused more on family , social situations , religion and weird creatures , his latest introduces the audience to the worst monster : the human being . This suspenseful movie was produced by the successful Catalan producers Julio and Carlos Fernandez from Fantastic factory ; it displays relentless thriller , intrigue , shocks , hard-edged drama , plot twists , creepy images and some gore when crime takes place . Director Jaume Balagueró (Rec, Rec 2, Fragiles , Darkness , The nameless) uses that uneasy non-knowledge for both horror and introducing brief touches of black humor . ¨Sleep Tight¨ is a motion picture that balances precariously over the dark comedy , ¨Psycho¨' Hitchockian intrigue , Michael Haneke's ¨Funny games¨ invasion genre bins and Michael Powell's ¨Peeping Tom¨ style . The overall result is chilling proof that Balagueró can take us back into an apartment building while delivering a completely different scare . Extraordinary performance by Luis Tosar , he plays a real tour-de-force in one of his best acting of his important career as a solitary and unhappy psychopath and an attractive , enjoyable Marta Etura , both of whom are a happy couple in real life . The picture packs a thrilling and intriguing musical score by Lucas Vidal . Furthermore , a colorful and appropriate cinematography by Pablo Rosso , Balaguero's usual .

'Sleep Tight' demonstrates director Balagueró's versatility , resulting to be a sublime thriller that every genre buff should be excited for . Rating : Good , better than average . The movie will appeal to thriller and suspense fans .

Spanish thrillers are always original and different, I have been waiting for this movie after Rec(2007)& REC 2(2009).

It is an original thriller which has its values intact and will haunt your inner-self upside down. The story is about a person who is calamitous and he strives for a transcendental happiness through other people related to him.

It is an enigmatic movie with bleak intentions (being Ironic here) culminating a character, which has cruel intentions for his ecstasies.

An impeccable performance by Luis Tosar, story is first rate and screenplay is amazing.

Recommended for everyone who like thrillers

My 8/10

Firstly, I feel it is important to state that though the marketing says everywhere 'from the director of Rec', and I understand why, this is nothing like Rec. I personally thought that Rec was an excellent film, and despite being an addition to an over exhausted genre, at the time it brought something new to it. Sleep Tight is however, though a 'horror' by genre, much more subtle and psychological. For me, this it to its credit and what is produced is a master class in psychological horror. It is very hard to describe the plot to Sleep Tight without giving too much away about the developments in the plot, as it are these constant developments that are central to the psychological and emotional impact of the narrative. I also feel it is important to say that from what I described in the plot that it is not a film that is brutal or horrific just for the sake of it, or is torture porn. Sleep Tight is a far more intelligent film that in fact has very little blood or gore, and the horror lies simply in the atmosphere, psychology and emotional impact of described plot developments.

I personally found that one of the shocking aspects of this film was the personal revelations that our revealed about our own sub conscience. César commits some quite despicable acts that any moral human being would never consider doing; however we do feel sympathy and understanding towards the protagonist. We almost feel a part of his actions due to how the story is told from his point of view and when there is a risk of him getting caught I genuinely felt nervous, despite the fact he should obviously be in prison for what he is doing. I am of course only speaking for myself here, and the viewing experience of this film and emotional reaction to what goes on within the narrative may differ between viewers. I was however relieved to read that other reviewers have said similar things. Our emotional sympathy for the protagonist is most definitely partly down to Luis Tosar's magnetic performance as César. He strikes up feelings of fear and disgust, yet also evokes sympathy, in a similar way to his stunning performance in the excellent Cell 211 (Daniel Monzón, 2009).

Sleep Tight is a film consisting of some deeply unforgettable moments that stay with us for a while. The feelings we often get from these moments may not be good ones, but it is due to the expertly crafted psychological horror with images that are often only described that lies in what makes Sleep Tight such a deeply effecting experience. Many horror films tend to have far-fetched concepts which take away some of the effectiveness, however what happens within the narrative of Sleep Tight is perfectly believable and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that this can happen to anyone, possibly without us even knowing. The shocks never get boring, leaving to an extremely compelling experience, leading all the way up to unforgettable ending that will haunt for days. Also adding to the horror is the extremely effective juxtaposition of there always being bright sunshine outside and having an up-tempo swing soundtrack, despite what is happening within the narrative leaving an extremely disconcerting feeling even during the day when everyone is supposed to be safe.

One criticism is that some of the few things that César does without getting noticed are perhaps a little unbelievable. However, maybe I thought this because I know he is there. If you are not aware of his presence then maybe you indeed would be less likely to notice. Proving that less can indeed be more; Sleep Tight is vastly more effective and genuinely haunting than any big budget horror film that Hollywood tends to produce these days. With some unforgettable moments, Sleep Tight is genuinely guaranteed to haunt your sub conscience for days.

Without the use of gratuitous violence and gore, this movie manages to find it's place at the top of it's genre.

It is incredibly uncomfortable to watch, and part of me wanted to stop watching at several points. It is truly amazing how the movie manages to evoke such a feeling of suspense and, well, awkwardness from the audience.

Movies like 'Funny Games' and 'The Strangers' attempt to provoke the audience in similar ways but fall short, while other films like 'Martyrs' use over-the-top gore to aid their attempts.

Despite the disturbing content of the film, the difficulty I had in viewing it, and many of the characters' actions being difficult to relate to, I recommend it highly and consider this movie a great success as it accomplished what it set out to do - impact the viewers psychologically.

This is a must-watch for any fan of psychological thrillers/horrors.