Clevercell Very disappointing...

CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Scott LeBrun Amy (Calista Flockhart) is the new nurse at an old children's hospital that's scheduled to be closed down. Making friends with Maggie (Yasmin Murphy), she realizes that there's some sort of evil presence in the place, one which Maggie and others refer to as "Charlotte". Amy, who has a trauma in her past, becomes determined that this time she is not going to let her young charges down.Interestingly enough, co-writer / director Jaume Balaguero ("Rec") never elaborates on the baggage that our heroine brings to the situation. But Flockhart, in a role far removed from Ally McBeal, does a very creditable job in this very serious role. You do sympathize with her and root for her. The rest of the cast is equally strong: Richard Roxburgh as kindly doctor Robert, Elena Anaya as nurse Helen, Colin McFarlane as the helpful Roy, talented child actress Murphy, and Gemma Jones as Mrs. Folder.What's going to appeal to some horror fans is the fact that Balaguero goes for a traditional approach: building suspense, caring about characters, and creating a genuinely ominous atmosphere. He doesn't go the route of indulging in gratuitous gore. He also crafts an intriguing mystery that plays out in an entertaining way. Importantly, it's a mystery where the audience learns things along with the characters and isn't two steps ahead of them the entire time.He also refrains from showing very much of the evil spirit until near the end, and when this happens, the look of the thing is pretty cool.Overall, this is an emotionally involving tale worth seeking out.Eight out of 10.

Tss5078 After sitting on the shelve for seven years, Fragile, has finally been released, as part of the Fangoria Frightfest. It's a strange movie that takes place in a decrepit children's hospital off the coast of England. The hospital is about to go out of business, when weird occurrences start taking place, leaving them short staffed. To fill the void, they hire an American nurse who quickly realizes that something at this hospital is very wrong. This film was very creepy, especially at the end, but it wasn't particularly exciting. It's extremely slow moving and tries to make a relevant point, but it's contrary to the whole premise of the film. The tagline states that the dead stay near the things they love, but in this film the dead are terrorizing what they supposedly love. As for the acting, it was pretty good despite the fact that half the cast were just kids. I admit that I did like parts of this movie, but others are extremely weird and disturbing, not to mention I almost fell asleep a couple times. It's not a great film, but it's not the worst I've ever seen.

Woodyanders Troubled American nurse Amy (a fine, credible, and affecting performance by Calista Flockhart) gets a job working the night shift at the crumbling Mercy Falls Children's Hospital in Britain. The place is being closed down. Amy discovers that there's a dangerous and possessive spirit known as Charlotte the mechanical girl (a genuinely creepy portrayal by Karmeta Cervera) on a disused floor who refuses to let the child patients leave the hospital. Director Jaume Balaguero, who also co-wrote the thoughtful script with Jordi Galceran, relates the compelling story at a deliberate pace, does an expert job of creating and sustaining an eerie and unsettling atmosphere of pure dread and unease, makes wisely judicious use of both excessive graphic gore and flashy special effects, and pulls out all the harrowing stops for the thrilling climax. Moreover, Balaguero brings a classy and subtle sensibility and sensitivity to the material that kicks the overall quality of the movie up a few extra notches. The excellent acting from the tip-top cast rates as another substantial asset: Flockhart brings a touching and appealing vulnerability to her sympathetic character, with sterling support from Richard Roxburgh as the skeptical Dr. Robert Marcus, Elena Anaya as stern nurse Helen Perez, Gemma Jones as hard-nosed head administrator Mrs. Folder, Colin McFarlane as amiable handyman Roy, and, most impressive of all, the adorable Yasmin Murphy as frightened and precocious little girl Maggie. Xavi Gimenez's shadowy cinematography gives the picture an appropriately gloomy look. Roque Banos' shivery score does the elegantly uncanny trick. A real sleeper.

Chrysanthepop Jaume Balagueró's 'Frágiles' is very much your typical fright-fest suspense claustrophobic horror but that doesn't necessarily mean that its devoid of entertainment. First off, to give Balagueró credit as director and writer, the film grabs your attention from the very beginning and it stays focused on the main story without attempting to elaborate too much on side stories. Secondly, the atmosphere is very chilling and claustrophobic. The 'hospital' actually does look quite cold and creepy. It looks authentic. The slightly washed out color and light effects are very good. The visual effects are superb.The flip side is that 'Frágiles' is pretty formulaic. The characterization and dialogue follow the formula. There are plenty of plot holes too. The performances are adequate but many suffer due to sketchy writing. Calista Flockheart does a decent job. She is well supported by Gemma Jones. Elena Anaya and Richard Roxburgh haven't got much to do.To sum it up, 'Frágiles' could do for decent viewing. I'd further recommend to watch this on a large screen television with fine sound system in order to get drawn into the atmosphere.