Rating: 
Summary: A movie with backbone
Review: Moody, atmospheric, like reading a literary novel. Will reward those who watch it...
Rating:
Summary: What is a ghost?
Review: Life was hard during the Spanish Civil war, especailly for a group of orphans....food is scarce, bombs are dropping on the grounds of the orphanage, and there is a ghost amoung them who keeps saying "many will die". Jancinto is the brooding grounds keeper who resents the orphanage and his time spent there. What kind of secrets is he keeping? What is he looking for? Who is the ghost that roams the grounds? What is he trying to communicate to the young men? Visually this movie is stunning. The story is intense and holds your attention. It's definitely worth seeing.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Movie
Review: I wasn't too sure about this movie, though I did have it on my wish list at amazon.com. I got it somewhere else and I have to say, this is one of the best horror films I've seen in a long time. It hits its mark, without all the blood and gore, which is cool, I like the blood and gore thing. This was a great break from all that. It's sparked an interest in films with subtitles too.
Rating:
Summary: Creepy & emotionally haunting.
Review: The Devil's Backbone I'm not a huge fan of subtitled films. More often than not the subtitles tend to become a distraction for me. Often they're not done all that well and blend into the background scenery (this happened during my viewing of the Japanese film Audition) or I'm so busy trying to follow the written dialogue that I miss much of the film (this happened often during Amelie and occasionally during the Japanese version of The Ring). And, to be honest, I despise wearing my glasses (ah, vanity) and these subtitles force the issue. Because my experience with subtitles has been dismal at best I only picked up "The Devil's Backbone", a Spanish film with English subtitles, because it had been highly recommended as "must-see" by a reliable source. After the first five minutes of viewing this film I was hooked and my issues with subtitles were all but forgotten. Set during the Spanish Civil War the film immediately emits a sense of dread, desperation and hopelessness that is maintained throughout the length of the film. The constant threat of war, starvation, death and destruction looms ever closer while human weaknesses are explored as well as strength and action in the face of all of the hopelessness. All of these combined aspects, along with an interesting (but not terribly original) ghostly mystery, are what make the film far superior to most of what I've been viewing in the theatre. Carlos is a young orphan. His father died a casualty of the war but no one has the heart (or backbone) to tell him. Instead his tutor drops him off at an orphanage and cowardly runs away without a word of explanation. Young Carlos is left in the hands of strangers and is shown around his new "home" where he must adjust to an entirely new way of life. I felt a deep sense of empathy for little Carlos right away. As he tries to adjust a few of the other orphaned boys make his life just about as difficult as they can (starvation, disappointment and lack of compassion will do that to you). But Carlos accepts this as his fate. His confusion, fear and acceptance of it all seemed very true to life and all the more heartbreaking because of it. As if this weren't enough, Carlos sees a ghost-boy who warns him of imminent danger. Carlos flees for his life (like most of us would when faced with a ghost!). Before long Carlos learns there are things much more dangerous than a ghost-boy lurking within the stifling confines of the orphanage. The adult cast is relatively small but each adds interest to the plot. There's the older schoolmarm who hides a shameful secret, an older professor in love with the schoolmarm who hides his feelings, his poetic soul and his impotence from his true love, there's a hunky, cold-hearted young caretaker who believes the world owes him big-time and, finally, there's an innocent young maiden who sees the truth of things far too late. Her character seems unnecessary upon first view but the few moments of hope and light she brings into the dreary existence of the orphanage's resident "bully" make her character worthwhile. Finally, there's Santi a former resident of the orphanage who now haunts its halls. The boys all believe Santi ran away when a bomb was dropped (but never detonated) in their yard but deep down fear something terrible happened to him. The circumstances surrounding Santi's disappearance are kept a secret and when revealed they aren't surprising but they are jaw-droppingly awful to witness. Other than that I'm going to leave the rest of the plot alone. It's something that should be viewed and not synopsized to death. The appearances of the ghost are genuinely creepy despite the fact that his makeup is horribly bad and, much to my relief, this movie isn't stuffed with many gimmicky thrills (only one comes to mind). I didn't jump out of my seat in fear but instead felt that wonderful thrill one experiences only when viewing a movie that maintains an intense sense of relentless dread. I don't normally review films as I tend to forget all of the little details (and many of the big ones) as soon as I pop out the disk but this one just won't let go and its images refuse to leave me. If you're as tired as I am of the standard cheap thrill filled dreck being shoveled out that disguises itself as horror (When Darkness Falls, anyone?) this film is a must see. A haunting emotional experience to be sure. ~ Laurie Shallah
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent mood and acting, not so great script
Review: Yes, The Devil's Backbone was mis-marketed in the U.S. This is not a horror film. It is a suspense drama with ghostly elements. The problem is that American film sensibilities do not provide for such a mixture. That said.... Foreign films playing in the U.S. were once upon a time a novelty and were automatically either praised above all other films or they were denounced as insipid. More recently, the sheep-like film reviewers have waxed poetic about any foreign film as long as it was moody or politically charged, regardless of the story, acting, or direction. There are certainly brilliant foreign films (which one must remember are not foreign films to the country in which they were made), but there are also bad foreign films - just as there are good and bad American films. The problem with many "latin" films (any film of Spanish or French derivation) played in the U.S. is that the emotional sensibilities aren't the same. For example, in many a spanish language film, the dialogue seems over the top and the translation and acting forced. In its native country, this would not be seen as such. Also, "latin" films don't always tie up all the loose strings at the end. You are supposed to infer from the closing what happens off screen - or decide for yourself. This, as a typical American, is highly frustrating. All of this is a precursor to my review of The Devil's Backbone. It is a very moody, very well directed, photographed, and acted film. The problem lies not with any of these, but rather with the lack of a clear linear quality to the storyline. There are several storylines running concurrently and that is something that any good film has. However, they do not really build on each other, but rather run concurrently without affecting each other to create the suspense, I imagine, was intended. Finally, the ending, which solves a mystery, is less than satisfying not because it didn't tie up loose ends nicely, but rather because it did so too simply. While my typical complaint in many films is that the ending isn't explained well enough, in The Devil's Backbone, the ending is explained too simplistically and rather unsatisfactorily. Why the ghost of a child haunts this orphanage, should be more gothic in its solution - as the ghost here is far more terrifying and mysterious than in dozens of other films. I really enjoyed the film, but I just wanted more out of it than what there was. I think the director is quite capable and I have enjoyed many of his other films. Watch this film and enjoy it. It's worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: A visually fascinating, chilling drama
Review: The supernatural drama The Devil's Backbone is a fun, fantastically visual film by director Guillermo del Toro (Blade 2). The film, set in Spain during World War II, is about a young boy who discovers a vengeful ghost the day he arrives at an orphanage for the children of war victims. The ghost warns the boy, Carlos, that many will die. Confused and scared by the message, Carlos tries to gain friendship with the other boys, and soon gets wrapped up in the dangerous affairs of the war torn group. Though this is a foreign language film, stylistically it plays out like a well made American film. The special effects are fantastic, the story engrossing and the chills spine tingling. Del Toro's visual touch is unmistakable here as the camera follows flying objects, such as a slingshot bullet to its contact point. But this film isn't the action piece Blade 2 is. This has more suspense and dramatic tension, with genuine scares and a foreboding, claustrophobic atmosphere. It's clear Del Toro has a spectacular eye for visual effects and, more importantly, incorporating them into an intriguing story with fleshed out characters. Even audiences who usually don't care for films in foreign languages will probably enjoy The Devil's Backbone. Only minutes into the film, I was so spellbound by the story and visuals I almost forgot it was in Spanish, surely as fine a compliment a foreign film could receive. This one's highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: If I See One More Spooky Kid in a Movie...
Review: What is about children and horror films? There are so many scary kids running around in terror flicks these days it makes you wonder how much affection filmmakers have for their own offspring. Kids in movies these days can predict the future, see dead people, haunt living people, talk to dead people, predict the end of the world, and say spooky things in little kiddie whispers. Hopscotch, apparently, has became passe. I have a theory that studio heads (even the ones from south of the border) are so unfamiliar with children, and so utterly mystified by them, that they don't know what else to do with them except use them to try and scare the living bejesus out of you. I assume dogs will be next, and then maybe homeless people. Either way, the gimmick is running out of steam. So here we are with "The Devil's Backbone", a beautiful film from Guillermo Del Toro that looks scary, acts scary, sounds scary, but for some reason isn't scary. And there's a good reason why: we've seen it all before. Spooky kids, ghosts popping out of water, ghosts coming up from behind you in a old, rickety building. Del Toro does it all well (the photography here is particularly intoxicating), but there isn't anything new about the creepiness on display here. The most effective horror films usually scare you with thoughts rather than images. But because the plot here is relatively standard thriller stuff (robbery goes awry, helpless victims rise up against a seemingly stronger adversary, ghost is really upset about how he went out), the film is easy to shake off once it's over. There's one good scare, but it's a cheap one. After that, the film is less than the sum of its parts. A cred boost from being a foreign film doesn't make it any more surprising. "The Devil's Backbone" is the perfect example of how a film can be well made but still be bad. Or, at least, not very good. Here's hoping the next horror film that comes out has some fresher ways to make you cover your eyes. Those kinds of movies are few and far in between ("Psycho," "Halloween," "Mommie Dearest"), but you never know.
Rating:
Summary: excellent!
Review: If you buy this, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, scary movie... a real nailbiter!
Review: A genuinely spooky ghost story, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. The plot revolves around a haunted monastary in war-torn 1930s Spain; the hacienda doubles as a boy's school filled, in part, with refugees and orphans left behind by the anti-Franco partisans. The special effects are creepy and clever; the supernatural intertwines with the temporal, and it's difficult to tell which is more horrifying. I thought this was a great film, definitely worth checking out. (Cast note: the kid who plays the hero looks *exactly* like Matthew Broderick!)
Rating:
Summary: More than just a good ghost story
Review: This movie is just as much a serious drama as it is a horror film. It is a ghost story, but in the tradition of The Others it is scary in parts, and terribly sad in others. The story is set in Spain during the Spanish civil war of the 1930's. An orphaned boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), is dropped off at an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. It is hot and dusty there, and the nearest town is almost a days walk away. The orphanage is somewhat like a compound with buildings and fences surrounding an open air square in the middle. In the center of this is a large bomb sticking out of the ground that had been dropped several years earlier. At around 8 feet high and bigger around than a man could reach, it kind of dominates the center square. The bomb had been diffused and poses no threat, and the kids play around it and the adults have gotten used to its presence. Carlos is of course fascinated by it. Among the 8 or so boys there is a bully who picks on Carlos and wants the comic books that he brought with him to the orphanage. Carlos does not back down from much of anything and sticks up for himself whenever confronted. During one scene where Carlos has gotten in trouble along with an unknown accomplice, Carlos refuses to tell the doctor at the orphanage (played by Federico Luppi, who also starred in Guillermo del Toro's wonderful 1993 film, Cronos). The few adults at the orphanage are composed of Dr. Casares (Luppi), Carmen, the headmistress (Marisa Paredes), Jacinto, the handyman (Eduardo Noriega) and his girlfriend Conchita (Irene Visedo) and a maid/caretaker. There is an odd love story that is presented involving the 4 main adult characters. It is not your typical Hollywood type love story however, and does not take away from the rest of the movie. A couple nights after Carlos arrives he sees "The one who sighs", a ghost of a young boy about Carlos age. Some there deny that he exists and others confirm that they have heard him. Carlos seeks him out and quickly finds him but once confronted by his ghostly image finally becomes frightened. While all this is going on there is a terrible battle being fought in the land and early on in the movie we find out that the Dr. and headmistress are sympathetic to the rebel cause (not the winning side) and have been storing several bars of gold for the rebels. Dr. Casares drove into town with Conchita to sell some rum that he produces at the orphanage (a very unforgettable scene when the Dr. describes to Carlos the rum he distills, and then sells to the townfolk). He sees a compadre who has been lined up against a wall outside and shot as a rebel. Dr. Casares huries back to the orphanage as he is afraid that his compadre might have told the Nationalists about the gold and their leftist, rebel leanings. I won't tell any more about what happens as I don't like spoiling the movie in my reviews, but I will say that while there were some surprises along the way (both pleasant and unpleasant), I did see the ending coming about halfway through the film. But It did not really take away anything as I was watching because of the excellent acting and cinematography. I found this to be a first rate thriller, easily as good as the much more ballyhooed (and profitable) The Others, also released in 2001. Once again Guillermo del Toro has made a great movie with characters that you get to know very deeply and who gain your sympathy. Del Toro has also helmed the much more typical Hollywood fare, Mimic and Blade II. While I haven't yet seen Blade II, Mimic was at least a little more interesting than your average creature movie. But in small, low budget films such as Devils Backbone and Cronos, del Toro has found a niche that I hope he continues to be involved in. The 1.85:1 picture on the dvd is great. A lot of the movie was filmed in darkish rooms and at night and everything was very crisp. Same with the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound: It sounds great. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles that were very easy to read. There is a making of feature that was pretty standard (i.e. nformative and entertaining), and a commentary by del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. They mention that it is the first time that they have ever done a commentary and it kind of shows. It is informative, but fairly dry. I did not buy the dvd but rented it... It is a great movie and I wouldn't mind owning it, but it is not at the top of my list. Maybe if it gets discounted...I would consider buying it.
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