With the chillingly brittle Argentina Horror Leni (2020-also reviewed) being my introduction to the Soho Horror Film Festival, I was thrilled to find that for a weekend dedicated to titles by LGBT film makers,the event would be presenting another movie from the country,leading to me taking a dose for a viewing.
View on the film:
Walking down the hospital corridors with Marcos on his return to filming for the first time since the short Que miren (2012), writer/director Martin Kraut & cinematographer Gustavo Biazzi cut into a icy atmosphere of long, distorted wide-shot cleansed in a cold, clinical blue tint which along with reflecting the sterilized surroundings, also exposes the detached state Marcos suffers when his attempt to raise alarm at the hospital falls on death ears.
Carrying the years spent working on the wards,and his secret of performing euthanasia on seriously ill patients, Carlos Portaluppi gives an absolutely superb performance as Marcos, whose suspicions that a another member of staff is killing patients for pleasure,is expressed by Portaluppi in subtle changes to his facial expression and body language, as Marcos tries to keep underhand his attempt to gather evidence against his fellow staff member.
Whilst he has an angelic name, Ignacio Rogers gives a terrifying turn as Gabriel, thanks to Rogers performing the dialogue in a cool, calm manner which highlights Gabriel's attempt to normalize the visible pleasure he shows when ending the life of a patient, and holding a psychopathic smile, which stops his bosses from asking him questions about the increased number of patient on his ward.
Spending time following the daily routine on the ward before Gabriel's arrival, the screenplay by Kraut holds back from picking up the scalpel,which injects an in-depth characterization into the gripping Thriller elements that seep into the hospital as Marcos digs into Gabriel's background.
Sitting with Marcos performing euthanasia on a patent, Kraut stays away from giving easy answers, via examining the differing moral positions between both staff members,as Marcos catches Gabriel giving a patient a dose.
View on the film:
Walking down the hospital corridors with Marcos on his return to filming for the first time since the short Que miren (2012), writer/director Martin Kraut & cinematographer Gustavo Biazzi cut into a icy atmosphere of long, distorted wide-shot cleansed in a cold, clinical blue tint which along with reflecting the sterilized surroundings, also exposes the detached state Marcos suffers when his attempt to raise alarm at the hospital falls on death ears.
Carrying the years spent working on the wards,and his secret of performing euthanasia on seriously ill patients, Carlos Portaluppi gives an absolutely superb performance as Marcos, whose suspicions that a another member of staff is killing patients for pleasure,is expressed by Portaluppi in subtle changes to his facial expression and body language, as Marcos tries to keep underhand his attempt to gather evidence against his fellow staff member.
Whilst he has an angelic name, Ignacio Rogers gives a terrifying turn as Gabriel, thanks to Rogers performing the dialogue in a cool, calm manner which highlights Gabriel's attempt to normalize the visible pleasure he shows when ending the life of a patient, and holding a psychopathic smile, which stops his bosses from asking him questions about the increased number of patient on his ward.
Spending time following the daily routine on the ward before Gabriel's arrival, the screenplay by Kraut holds back from picking up the scalpel,which injects an in-depth characterization into the gripping Thriller elements that seep into the hospital as Marcos digs into Gabriel's background.
Sitting with Marcos performing euthanasia on a patent, Kraut stays away from giving easy answers, via examining the differing moral positions between both staff members,as Marcos catches Gabriel giving a patient a dose.