Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

leplatypus For X-Files lovers, you will find anything you like: paranormal powers, folklore, gifted child, conspiracy, military bases, forest by nights… However, put in action by french cinema, I left disappointed. OK I knew beforehand that it was a scary movie but with such a title, I expected to go to Rome and Vatican. So going instead in Kazakshtan is not my cup of tea because I don't have connections with this culture… However I appreciated to see the large, bare landscape and typical town…Next I wanted a recent movie with La Belluci as I stopped watching her in 2005 and I'm surprised to see that this one was shot in 2006! I just wanted to see if she was able to act again instead of being the silent, sexy lady with the dynamism of a elephant! OK, here she speaks and in addition Russian, her accent is still charming and soft but honestly, she drags the movie down with her lack of vitality: always head down, never nervous, it's irritating to be with such a slug whatever sexy she can be! At the end, I found that Deneuve was much more involved as for one time, she put her outside her comfort zone! I support paranormal french movies but I think it would have been much better with a more involved and reactive mother instead of La Belluci!

MissMarauder I began watching this film with great interest due to the genre and the 2 lead actresses. I was told it was the French 6th Sense. I only wish my 6th sense had been working and told me not to waste my time watching it. only got to the end by playing games on my computer at the same time. as it had subtitles I had to keep looking for a while but soon there wasn't much dialogue and all I could hear was Monica Belluci gasping and panting as she struggled to survive a series of shocks and physical feats that would have put Bruce WIllis under a lot of pressure. Catherine Deneuve must have had a laugh making some of the scenes and had a frozen blank for most of it ( trying not to giggle perhaps)? The camera concentrates on close ups of Monicas face a lot too and as she appears to be in shock and gasping for air for a large part of the film it becomes very annoying. Yes there are a few spots that keep you watching for the special effects and but mostly these sort of scenes have been in many other films. If you get to the end well done!

dvdm504 I selected this film from the Blockbuster new release shelf b/c I like foreign films and well crafted horror/suspense movies.Catherine Deneuve was very impressive as mother Laura's friend Sybille,a lady who is disarming yet distant,she is easy to picture as quite comfortable strolling a white beach on a winter morning."the Stone Council" is effective in it's climax,timing,and presentation.I would recommend to fans of older films of the genre such as "Rosemary's Baby" and the original "the Wicker Man".Monica Bellucci deserves honorable mention for her portrayal of a mother who won't be stopped from saving her adopted son Liu from his kidnappers,who believe their ancient sorcery will make them immortal (come on you creeps - who really wants to live forever....?)

Claudio Carvalho In France, the single translator Diane Siprien (Monica Bellucci) adopts an Asian baby named Liu-San (Nicolas Thau) in a foundation directed by Sybille Weber (Catherine Deneuve). Years later, a weird mark appears on the boy's chest and Diane and Liu share their dreadful nightmares. Diane is assigned for a three-day job in German and she leaves Liu with her friend Sybille. However, while going to the airport, Diane finds Liu hidden in the backseat and startles with an eagle flying toward the windshield, crashing her car. Liu falls into a coma and his digital recorder records the boy speaking in an unknown dialect. When Diane searches the translation and the origins of Liu, she is surrounded by mysterious murders. She discovers that the dialect is from the mystic Mongolian Tseven tribe and that Liu is a powerful Observer; further, he is in danger, threatened by sorcerers that need the boy for their Council of the Stone."Le Concile de Pierre" is an intriguing and complex supernatural thriller. However, the story is too long for 102 minutes running time, and the director and the screenwriter use the resource of ellipsis to keep the pace of the movie and a poor development of the characters. What I most like in this movie is that there are very few clichés in the mystic story; the locations in Mongolia and of course the performance of the goddess Monica Bellucci wearing short hairs and very few make-up. My only restriction is to the lack of emotion transmitted by the movie, with a cold narrative. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Ritual da Pedra" ("The Stone Ritual")