Pânico a Bordo

I was lucky enough to catch this film at its premiere midnight showing in Sitges, Spain. I don't speak fluent Spanish, but I was still able to keep up with the story and characters-- without subtitles. The film opens with a great visual image of a woman in distress, and while the story involving how she got into that situation doesn't quite live up to the initial shock, there are enough twists and turns to keep up interest. I thought the acting was fairly good across the board, especially with the crew of the ship. The directing could have handled a little help, but shaky camera setups are hip and I'll leave that alone. Basically it boils down to: I liked it, I recommend it.

I've seen worse, and I say that because others didn't keep me in my chair to see how much ridiculous will turn yet towards the end...

The beginning is missing loads of things, like, to let us know the characters, nevertheless, that would be a detail, as they don't grow, or we don't get to know them even when the film comes to an end.

This seems to be a mixture between 'Ghost Ship' and any title at random of the very bad films based in Stephen King novels. Most of the character don't hold it, because when you start to like them or dislike them, they change and that's what happens with Ivan and Edgar's characters, they seem to be selfish and isolated, but them they turn into the superheroes of the moment... incredible!!!! Silke, is an actress that was a revelation years ago, fresh, different, interesting even without the pretty face, but after years of no productivity, one would think that she was taken lessons of vocalisation... wrong!!! it's very difficult , even for a Spaniard to understand what she is saying.

Plot is silly, dialogues come like salty water in a river... and question: what's a pregnant woman and a teenager(the one who drives the boat, that doesn't say a word in the whole film), are doing in there?

And trivia: the story happens during the night, but then, out of the blue, is midday!!!! Not at all recommendable, if you estimate your spare time, you better watch that favourite of yours all over again.

The free-lancer photographer Sara (Silke) hires the divers Iván (Unax Ugalde) and Edgar (Andrés Gertrúdix) and they head to the open sea in a small motor boat with the teenager Drui, the pregnant Thais (Diana Lázaro) and her husband Victor (Adrià Collado). When Iván and Edgar dive, Sara sees a man floating adrift and she brings him on board. Soon they realize that the man is dead and the clumsy Victor stumbles and shots the flare in the gasoline tank. The boat explodes and the group tries to swim to the distant coast. Soon they see a cargo ship anchored in the sea and they ask for help. But Sara, Iván and Edgar witness two crewmen stabbing a black man and throwing his body overboard. However, they decide to climb the pilot ladder and hide in the ship, expecting to reach a port. When Thais is bitten by a rat, Sara and Victor seek medicine to disinfect her hand, but one crewman sees him. Victor decides to turn himself in to protect the other stowaways. His scheme does not work as planned and the trip has a tragic end.

"Cámara Oscura" is a movie with a lame and stupid story. The plot is inconsistent and imbecile from the beginning without any character development. Who is Victor and why did he bring his six-month pregnant wife with him to the open sea in a small boat piloted by a teenager? Why Victor had to point the flare to a dead man? The group witnesses a murder and prefers to go on board as stowaways without water or supply instead of asking for help. When a rat bites, if he is infected with leptospirosis or rabies, the victim will not be healed or disinfected with first-aid. How stupid is Victor carrying a walkie-talkie with him? Sara using her flash to blind the snake is hilarious. Victor is hidden and goes by himself to meet the crew to protect his wife; when he is left on the open deck, Thais leaves the hideout to release him in a non- sense situation. Victor is invited to have dinner and surrounded by the captain that has an amicable behavior with him, and his crew, and the guy decides to offend them for free in an absurd situation. What is the captain's motivation? Is he with his men or with the Stowaways? I could list another dozen plot holes but I believe this is enough to illustrate how bad this movie is. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Pânico a Bordo" ("Panic on Board")