Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Real Deal, June 25, 2007
I didn't know what to expect when I put in the Abandoned. 2 other movies from the horrorfest that I'd watched were good, but not great. Also the older protagonists were a welcome change from the usual teenage/early 20's players that are the formula these days.
The setting is the creepiest house you've ever seen. I was scared as soon as the main character arrives on the grounds of the old family house she has inherited. This was one of the few movies that actually had me hiding under the covers as I watched.
The story was unsettling, the direction and cinematography were excellent. I loved it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Death never runs out of time..., June 12, 2007
Abandoned reminded me quite a bit of an Asian film called The Echo (aka, Sigaw) -- and a few others; it's nothing new in the genre, but aside from a severely sagging midsection, the horror and suspense aspects are far from, er, abandoned by first-time director Nacho Cerdà. This is no doubt a low-budget film with a lot of spoken supposition, running and hiding; however, when the creatures are shown, they don't disappoint. The makeup is well-done, and special effects are wisely kept to a bare minimum.
The gloomy, yet sharply rendered imagery from cinematographer Xavi Gimenezs (The Machinist) adds to grim terror experienced by our protagonists, as does the jangling dissonance of the original score by Alfons Conde.
While I will admit I was pretty bored during the middle of the movie (I don't mind when things get talky, but nothing new was added to the suspense via the dialogue), it rallies in the end and has a satisfying, fittingly unsettling conclusion.
Staci Layne Wilson
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of potential but ultimately falls short, June 20, 2007
The Abandoned is the story of a woman born in Russia but who was adopted as a baby and is now going back to Russia from her life in the U.S. to find out about her birth parents. The summons leads her to the old family farm, which she has the legal right to. Once she arrives there, dark family secrets arise, evil forces abound, and even when the woman decides to leave the house, she finds that she cannot.
It is, perhaps, not the most original plot. Certainly there have been movies where a person has gone searching for information about their ancestors and found a haunted house. But the setup was rather well done. There was a nice sense of foreboding and trouble brewing. I also liked Anastasia Hille, the woman who plays the main character. Most ghost story movies with a female heroine typically cast a much younger woman who tend to look out of place. That's not to say Anastasia Hille blended in with the decrepit house but it just felt more authentic that this woman was interesting in her past - as compared to a 20 year old model who would be more interested in going clubbing than investigating some old house in Russia. Regardless, I was on board from the beginning of the film. It started with a nice pace and an excellent atmosphere.
And that is where the movie fell apart. The plot jumps around from point to point. The characters become relegated to set pieces, waiting for the next shocking vision to occur. They never seem to take full shape as real people. The exciting climax also leaves a lot to be desired.
I did like some of the special effects and makeup work at the end, where things got very graphic. [There is gore, briefly but spectacularly done.] But the confused plot and rather predictable ending [coupled with the disease of having too many endings where none have any impact] leave a lot to be desired. I'd suggest it as a rental but certainly not to buy.
sincerely,
R.C.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
