9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Banal, Thrill-less Thriller with Sleepwalking Mira Sorvino, March 25, 2005
Mira Sorvino and Olivier Martinez star in 'Angel of Death' (origianally called 'Semana Santa') produced by European film companies from as many as six countries -- Germany, Italy, England, France, Spain, and Denmark. The film was theatrically released back in 2002 in France. Since then three years have passed, but probably you still never heard of the film. No wonder, because the film is so bad, so dull, and so sleep-inducing.
While all the dialogues are spoken in English, 'Angel of Death' is set in Spain, and Mira Sorvino plays Maria, detective transfered from Madrid to Seville. During the celebration of Semana Santa, she is given a case of brutal murders, committed by a serial killer in red robe. With chauvinist cop Quemada (Olivier Martinez, 'Unfaithful' 'Taking Lives'), Maria starts the investigation, picking up the clues, and confronting the uncorporative section of the ... are you still listening?
The clithe-ridden script is no help when director (or whoever involved in this film) does not know how to show thrills and suspence on screen. When you see the killings on screen, they are all shown in the most banal way; you watch, 1) a victim; 2) a killer; 3) the former is attacked (with no preliminary part to enhance the tension, in the same fashion as cheap TV games), and 4) dead body or injured character. The film refuses to scare us, or even the victims themselves, and the results are utterly thrill-less thriller. That's surely achievement, sort of.
But what Mira Sorvino is doing here? Detective Maria Delgado, wearing tailor-made suit and skirt? She sports curious Spanish accent (which suddenly vanishes at times), but that is not the worst part of it. Her acting itself is probably the worst in her career, and she literally sleepwalks, and sometimes looks as if she knew this film would be a flop. Olivier Martinez, always oceracting, is no better, and I thought, isn't he a French? Only special appearance by Alida Vali ('The Third Man' and Dario Argento films like 'Suspiria') offers some dignity, and her character's flashback sub-plot is more interesting than the main one.
The director fails to show any clear motive of the killer. Consequently we see dead bodies, but have no opportunities to understand the reason for the killing. The police do not know even the rudimentary procedures of investigation, and are often so stupid that one of them does not do anything useful until the story comes nearly to the end, but all of a sudden he becomes wise, and gets the answer!
I give two stars simply because I like Mira Sorvino, who is Oscar winner (just in case if you forgot it). She's the only reason for two stars, and no other. Not that her acting is great. Don't say that I didn't warn you.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
An hour and a 1/2 that I will never get back!!!!, December 16, 2005
Well, I have officially just wasted an hour and a 1/2 of my life on a movie that is quite possibly the worst I have ever seen. Do not waste your hard earned money on this sorry excuse for entertainment. It was horrible!!! Even with the hottie from Unfaithful, it wasn't worth it. Do yourself a favor, and pass this one up!
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