I almost did not put this one on, but seeing that Terele Pávez was in it and that the filming was done by `el maestro' Javier Aguirresarobe, I succumbed. As I am not exactly so keen on `creepies' and horror type films, I did not expect much, so got more than I expected. Which, logically, is better than vice-versa.
Firstly it was great to see Terele Pávez again, so many years after the outstanding masterpiece `Los Santos Inocentes' (1984)(qv), as well as her lesser parts in `Requiem por un Campesino Español' (1985), the not so accomplished `Celestina' (1996) and the excellent TV series `Quijote' (1991) and `Cañas y Barro' (1978). However, also pleasing was to see María Barranco in a decent rôle, as previously I had only noted her as one of `Almodóvar's girls' in the early 90s, as well as participating in films which were more unfortunate than anything else `El Rey Pasmado' and Bigas Lunas' indigestible `Las Edades de Lulú'.
In `99.9' things hold together surprisingly well, despite loose ends flying about which were not `nicely' tied up in a neat package. Deep in the depths of darkest Spain but in effect some lovely sierras in the province of Jaen, Andalusia some rather weird goings-on end up with Lara's (María Barranco) ex boy-friend being impaled stark naked on some railings in a cemetery right at the beginning of the film. Lara investigates and thus sets us up for a spooky session. Which may well have not worked if the cinematographer had not been Javier Aguirresarobe. This man is incredible, absolutely a perfectionist of the first order. Whether it be the dark interiors of mansions in `Los Otros' (The Others, qv), beautiful scenery and spider's webs in `Secretos del Corazón' (qv), costume pieces such as in `La Niña de tus Ojos' (qv) and Pilar Miró's `El Perro del Hortelano) or the highly acclaimed `Beltenebros', or the Madrid gangster world of Madrid in `La Fuente Amarilla' (qv), Aguirresarobe shows astonishing ability to even capture the feel and atmosphere of whatever he is shooting.
Apart from that, some of the acting is pretty good, even convincing given the hardy nature of people living in some of those tumbled-down abandoned villages lost in the cold sierras. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that if I were to choose seeing this film or `The Others' again, I might just choose `99.9'. It simply has an uncanniness that the other better known film lacks.
