Directed by Nacho Vigalondo
Review based upon the Optimum DVD release
Directed by Spanish first-timer Nacho Vigalondo from his own screenplay (which he also stars in), “Timecrimes” has been given a great deal of critical acclaim in addition to recently being picked up for a Hollywood remake. A hybrid of horror and science fiction, laying multiple timelines across what’s essentially a relationship story, does “Timecrimes” work as a viewing experience or is it an unintelligible mess?
Hector (Karra Elejalde) has just moved into a rundown new home with his wife Clara (Candela Fernandez). Whilst taking a break from rebuilding the property, Hector spies a mysterious girl in the forest (Barbara Goenaga) who seems to be in distress. Fighting his way through the trees to find her, Hector is attacked with a pair of scissors by a mysterious man wearing bandages. Being pursued by the figure, the terrified Hector runs onto a nearby property only to find a strange science experiment taking place. He meets the mysterious young man (Nacho Vigalondo) who instructs him to get into a tank of cloudy water to hide from his attacker. Upon being released from the chamber, Hector discovers that he’s been transported back in time to earlier the same day, putting into motion a chain of events that threaten to lead to a tragic end. Will Hector manage to return to his own time? And who is the bandaged man?
Similar in some narrative respects to Christopher Nolan’s “Memento”, Vigalondo’s flick is a superb example of the cinematic originality that seems to pour out of Europe
these days. “Timecrimes” is an intelligent movie that treats its audience with a great deal of respect. At one point the character of Hector has crossed over his timeline several times over, and yet the film never over explains it, as you might expect if you were watching a Hollywood version. Instead Vigalondo allows the audience to figure it out, and the satisfaction given to the viewer by piecing together this jigsaw puzzle is very high indeed.In addition to the intelligent concept and screenplay, “Timecrimes” has a lot of unsettling tension and horror, with some superb jumpy moments. These are generated as a result of the powerful slow burn this movie has; it really gets under your skin because the characters are so believable in the way they react and behave. Karra Elejalde as Hector strikes a perfect balance between fear and realisation, as his everyman character is catapulted into chaos with his only driver being the woman he loves. Barbara Goenaga also puts in a good performance, her role pivotal to the success or failure of the story on screen.
The horror within “Timecrimes” is quite subtle, but better for it. Prior to his feature debut here, Vigalondo directed a number of short films, and his visual style is very unnerving and evidently modelled on several key genre directors. The most obvious example is the beautiful closing shot, one that’s clearly modelled on the key panaglide sequence in Dario Argento’s “Tenebrae”. In both flicks the shot was used to travel from one side of a house, up over the roof and down to the other side, shot in one take to emphasise a key plot point. In “Timecrimes” this final shot establishes perfectly the implications of Hector’s actions, and Viglondo uses it to pitch-perfect effect. This is a very visual piec
e of work, and in combination with the grainy and washed-out colour scheme, the film looks stunning.The effects are very minimal but used well, the focus at all times being on the characters and their predicament. Anything else is used purely to enhance the situations, making the key cast even more believable.
In short, “Timecrimes” is a wonderful European film that combines key horror and science fiction elements to create a wonderfully cohesive whole. Here is a film that delivers sharp twists and turns whilst always remaining one firm step ahead of the audience, demonstrating Vigalondo’s evident mastery of narrative in addition to the visual aspects. This story is already being developed for a remake, but “Timecrimes” is a very European film that’s unlikely to work as well in translation. It’s certain that unless Vigalondo is involved it’ll lack the beauty and brilliance of the original. From the evidence on offer here, Europe is at the heart of the cinematic revolution, and long may it continue. “Timecrimes” is a truly original picture, and one that should be seen by any discerning horror or movie fan.
9 out of 10
An understated gem… truly and quite simply brilliant
