Vuelve

Ivan Noel, wrote and directed this dark tale of Gabriel who is constantly visited by spectral dreams of Sofia (Romina Pinto) his mother. Isolated from his troubled mother, the boy becomes a dark, lonely brooding child (Renzo Sabelli) who witnessed her death. Gregorio, his father (Guillermo Tassara) is a harsh demanding disciplinarian who is pressured by the landlord to vacate the somber premises is unable to find help for his son. Seeking ways to improve the haunted estate which once belonged to a group of Monks, Gregorio invites his sister Debora (Leticia Vota) to help advise the suicide prone boy. Gabriel however is fixated by ghostly apparitions which convince him that his love is being stolen by a girl who insists on being part of his life. The combination of problems and ghostly apparition's of the Monks, leads Gabriel to despondency and urges him to follow in the maternal requests to join his mother. Following this movie is interesting enough, but Noel the director adds a black melancholy drama to the movie and at times, the audiences is hard pressed to follow into fear and terror. Nevertheless, the film is yet another attempt of matching the book to his talent as frightening entertainment. One has to understand the medium to follow him, but upon succeeding, enjoyment becomes the by-product. Well done. ****

The title, Vuelve, means come back or (he or she) comes back. The storyline: a couple, Sofía and Gregorio live with their son Gabriel in a large property, formerly a convent near the town of Jesus María, Córdoba province. Sofia is mentally disturbed; she suffers of Cotard's syndrome (defined in the initial screen). Gabriel, who is very attached to his mother begins to shows signs of mental deterioration too. The situation is worsened by Gregorio's discovery that he has not clear rights to the property and faces the possibility of expropriation and eviction.

The movie begins auspiciously. It lays out subtly an atmosphere of dread and anxiety. Unfortunately, it veers into horror movie territory near the end. There also inconsistencies in the script (by the director). It is not understandable that Gregorio should leave his child, unsupervised in exclusive care of his mother and then alone. Gregorio seems to take care of a vast building on vast grounds with only one gardener and no domestic help. And so on.

On the positive side, cinematography (by the director) is good, very good in some scenes. Acting is good as well and music (by the director) is unobtrusive and fits the action. On the whole, however, a disappointing movie.

Another masterpiece from Ivan Noel. Beautifully filmed and haunting story that will stay with you long after the closing credits. If you like your movies simple and predictable, this is not the movie for you. But if you are willing to venture outside your comfort zone just a bit and have your senses challenged, you'll be richly rewarded. What seems to be a simple tale of a family living in an old monastery slowly leads you down a path of breath taking twists and turns. A traumatic event sets a chain of tragic events in motion, leading to a magnificent finale. Renzo Sabelli, the young actor who plays the (aptly named) boy Gabriel puts in an amazing, believable performance for one so young.

Fascinating! Intriguing movie where you get lost in the character's mind. Incredible level of photography, as he usually does the director. A film that takes you to travel through all the senses. It goes from one extreme to another making you feel a sense of tenderness to darkness rarely experienced. In my humble opinion, a truly remarkable work, which, to be an independent production has nothing to envy, and is at the level to compete with any "big production". The music ... what, Ivan Noel ... is a kind of genius unrecognized?. I really could not believe when I read the title, if one person can achieve this level of quality. Obviously at this point I'm not being very objective, but this is a credit to director, producer, composer and who knows how many more thing God. Please ... when more movies are coming Ivan Noel???

Excellent thriller with moments of supreme drama, spectacular performances. Exceptional music, photography ... all whole and yet is beautiful dark. Ivan Noel as he usually does to its magnificent productions, which combines situations, images, music, all in a singular excellence. With a superb script, keeps us all looking forward the movie. Great performances from the smallest detail with beautiful places. Once again the genius of director through the screen to the spectator and have him caught from start to finish. A thriller that lovers of director movies not to be missed. Taken with the difficult issues Myor naturality and care. Simply brilliant.