Experimento mortal

In a time when remakes, sequels and sequels to remakes are just about all the horror genre is getting, it's refreshing to a see a film that isn't merely a copy of another. This film isn't completely original, however, as it has shades of classics such as Alien and The Thing, but the base of the plot is compelling and the way that director Billy O'Brien patiently builds up the atmosphere and tension is impressive. The plot obviously takes influence from the agricultural crisis's we've had in Britain over the last few years; namely foot and mouth, in which the desire not to have people coming and going from various farms was strong. The film starts with a cow giving birth. There's obviously a problem from the outset, and it increases when the cow is born. The calf is somehow not right, and the farmers take the decision to kill it. Upon dissecting the dead calf, it turns out that there's a parasite growing inside of it, and we soon learn that this is the result of an experiment carried out with the farmer's say so by an immoral vet...

The film is slow to start, and the first half is really just build up. However, the build up isn't boring and the director generates suspense by never really letting us know what is going on until it is really needed. The second half the film is entirely different to the first as then we focus more on action and gore, and this actually goes well with the beginning of the movie. There aren't many characters in the film, and that means that there aren't a lot of death scenes; but this isn't too important as the central monster looks cool enough, and the death scenes are suitably nasty, even though they're not very gory. The locations the atmosphere is a big stand out, and the director does a good job of ensuring the farm location is integral to the plot and good use of the dirty and eerie locations is used at all times. The film is a long way away from being perfect; the camera-work annoyed me somewhat as Billy O'Brien obviously subscribes to the flashy camera-work school of thought, and sometimes you can't see what's going on. However, this is a well made and well acted little horror film that deserves more plaudits for the fact that it's not a direct rip off. Very well done!

The broken farmer Dan (John Lynch) rents his farm for the scientist John (Marcel Iures) from the Bovine Genetics Technology that is researching genetic modifications of cattle to increase its fertilization. The veterinarian Orla (Essie Davis) is bitten by the calf while helping the cow to deliver, and she feels that something went wrong with the experiment. During the night, the cow has a narrow passage for the calf, and Dan asks the young couple Jamie (Sean Harris) and Mary (Ruth Negga) that is parked in a trailer in front of his farm's entrance to help him in the delivery. When the offspring is born, it bites Dan; Orla arrives later and realizes that it is a genetic anomaly and she sacrifices the calf. During the autopsy of the animal, she discovers that the fetus is pregnant and she destroys the freak hybrids. However, one of them escapes and attacks a cow first and Jamie later. When John arrives in the farm, he discovers that there is the danger of infection of human beings and decides to quarantine the spot. But one offspring is alive and need to be captured.

"Isolation" is a creepy and gruesome version of Alien in an Irish farm. The cinematography is very dark like the story that is simple but works, and the locations are indeed repugnant. But the direction and the cast make the difference with excellent work highlighting the always excellent John Lynch. The special effects are great and the open conclusion gives a perfect ending to this movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Quarentena" ("Quarantine")

"Isolation" is actually a rather enjoyable movie, a fairly straight forward horror movie, in the likes of "Alien", actually. Well, think Alien subjected to an element of bovine, and then you essentially have "Isolation".

The story is about some experiment taking place on a remote farm in remote location of Ireland. Local farmer Dan (played by John Lynch) and veterinarian Orla (played by Essie Davis) are not fully aware of the extends of the experiment in which they are participating. Something is wrong with the cow carrying a calf, and during a troubled birthing, a horrible secret is revealed.

"Isolation" was filmed in a nice way, lots of interesting shots and angles here, and there was a very intense and adrenaline-filled moments throughout the movie. The mood was great and really helped the movie along quite nicely.

The creature effects was quite interesting, and it was a very unique appearance they opted to go for in the movie, both with the larvae and the grown creature itself.

And there is enough blood in the movie to keep most gorehounds fairly satisfied.

Got 95 minutes to spare, then "Isolation" could be a good way to spend it. The movie is enjoyable, has a good story and some interesting creature effects.

Although the significance behind the title is only superficially explored - whether it be from too much 'isolation' from cosmpolitan city life, from interpersonal emotional relationships, from wholesome medical meddling, etc... this tightly told story of science run amok at a backwoods Irish farm becomes frightening due to keen usage of natural elements combined with a focus on natural visual/special effects - no CGI! Although the characters are unremarkable, the unrelenting tension gets its strength from the filmmaker's refusal to ever leave the premises. In addition, the overcast skies and the interiors' infrastructures allow the director many opportunities to increase the audience's fear of when and how the creature will affect the proceedings. Though the audience never witnesses the full poteniality of its metamorphosis (although the budget was almost $9.5 million, they may have run out before unleashing a complete masterpiece) the glimpses of how science's ambitions can run amok are horrifyingly conveyed. Essie Davis is gorgeous, but did not create a 'Jamie Lee Curtis' in "Halloween." Definitely recommended.

Isolation is a very odd horror/thriller, but it works. The storyline isn't the best (animal experiment gone wrong), but its doable. The thing that makes the movie pretty good is the characters, suspense, and fear of the unknown. The actors are not well known, but they are good, they make it a lot more believable. Also, they act in a realistic manner, which also really helped. Over all its a great suspense film. Yes, the idea as a whole is pretty trite and corny, but the director made it work into something good. Its a good above average horror/thriller that is actually pretty underrated. I rate this 7/10. Rated R for violence/gore, language and a scene of sexuality