Intacto | Review

Even with a far-fetched novelty idea, this film lives up to being a surprisingly entertaining divertissement.

In the same vein as another Spanish import of ‘Open Your Eyes’, Juan Carlos Fresnadilo’s edgy thriller deals with the possibilities of the improbable, with a plot about lottery-ticket chances being applied to a crazy game of tag where characters are engrossed in a wheel of misfortune in which losing a simple wager can ultimately lead to death, as witnessed with the elegant use of the ever-so-fun game of guess what chamber of the gun is empty and which 5 are full. With a kitschy storyline and a swampy atmospheric quality, Fresnadilo gives a film that is sometimes farcical and far from being perfect but is easily watchable and entertaining flick. Each introduced in within these unique contexts related to lady luck, the range of characters are fairly interesting. The protagonist Federico (Eusebio Poncela) is shown as the guy whose job it is to protect casino earnings, no he doesn’t have to take people into back alleys to recover the money–he simply taps them on the hand. The day he ‘hands’ in his resignation, he doesn’t have the fortune of keeping his special ability as it is taken away from him by Samuel (Max von Sydow-) who holds the command of this mysterious power. The man who looks like a mix of Ben Kingsley’s Sexy Beast and as Ian McKellan as Magneto in X-Men whose puts on a solid presence that says that he is not a man to f*#k with. A seven-year narrative push forward develops into this wild chase which sees the protagonist’s take on a protégé who has defied all odds. With some winnings aside, they both take off with their fingers intact and are pursued by some interested parties. The fun of the film is seeing how this game of tag evolves and watching a bunch of characters trying to figure out the rules and the basic parameters of their new fortunes and misfortunes.

The film leans towards this exaggerated ness that makes for a good couple of laughs, and some highly enjoyable moments as witnessed in a sequence which sees a bunch of men running through a forest full of trees with a certain degree of difficulty. Perhaps, the Polaroid photograph’s ability to change a person’s fortune is a little out there and the antagonist’s Holocaust back-story is pushing it, but aside from the silliness, the picture will keep you guessing and won’t necessarily give you a migraine when you’re trying to figure out who’s got luck on their side. The more disappointing part is found in the film’s end, this great built up thriller rush that was worked up until this point fizzles out and takes away the fun from found in the rest of the pic. Chances are that you might find this irritating at times while during other moments it will be exciting and somewhat of a satisfactory watch.

Viewed in original language (Spanish) with English subtitles.

Rating 2 stars