Semana Santa

I could not, for the life of me, follow, figure out or understand the story. As the plot advances it too stays incomprehensible. I'm going to guess and say that there was a preproduction story/plot problem that never got sorted out. The producers could never separate the many details that the novel, or any novel, has the time and space to create from the other idea, which was to make a movie about a serial killer and the killer's pursuit by the police. They ended up with too many things happening in a proscribed feature film time limit. Too bad really because they had a solid cast, a director who knows how to move things around and excellent cinematography. In fact, a well made movie that one could enjoy and relax with for a couple of hours.

Police detective Maria Delgado (Mira Sorvino) is transferring from first rate Madrid to the second tier Seville for unknown reason. Captain Rodriguez sends detectives, Quemada (Olivier Martinez) and Torillo, to help her acclimatize. It is the Semana Santa (original title) and the processions create traffic jams. Someone in a red hooded costume from the Brotherhood of Christ is attacking people. Two decomposing bodies are found in carefully posed positions. The police trio investigates. It soon leads to the Brotherhood and the dark Spanish recent history.

First, it's strange to watch Mira Sorvino's dubbing. It doesn't help that her acting is so flat in this movie. It looks like those old kung fu movies. This is a police drama thriller. The first half is fine although they could use a couple of red herrings. Around the midpoint, the movie runs out of steam. The old lady is doing a lot of expositions to move the story along. She does it a couple of times. They lose Torillo which is a shame. I like the chemistry of the trio. When they boil the group down to the two hot actors, the serious feel starts slipping away.

American star who's career is in trouble goes to Europe to appear in a multinational production of little distinction. Those were the days, the late 1960's through mid 1970's and unless your name was Clint Eastwood probably nothing much came of the experience as far as the finished film was concerned. Ah, I feel sort of nostalgic for those euro trash co productions that you just knew were really about tax shelters as well as being one last chance for the star to headline a movie and have a vacation at the viewing public's expense.

Well, ANGEL OF DEATH is just such a movie and it is only from 2002! The original, more germane, title is SEMANA SANTA which means Easter or Easter week, referring to the parades and celebrations that feature hooded monks, one of whom is suspected of being the killer.

No less than six countries are listed in the credits and though set in Spain part of it was shot in Hamburg Germany. I guess I'm talking about all this because all of that is more interesting than the movie itself.

Other than the pleasing distractions of the setting, the story is really really tired. Though based on a novel it really feels like the work of a tired American television cop show writer. Doing some research I found that I was half right, Roy Mitchell is a English television cop show writer. One symbolic killing sparks an investigation. It is hinted that there is some religious connection to the killing. Ultimately this isn't explored in any depth. Woman Cop forced on a male counterpart who doesn't respect her. She is shown to kick ass early in the film to excuse her becoming pretty much just a typical weak woman for the killer to throw around by the end. The dialogue is really flat. A character gets locked in a room by the killer and immediately pounds on the door and yells, "Open this door!" Pretty much all the dialogue is on this level of freshness and creativity. It sounds even worse because we have a bunch of thick accented Europeans speaking lamely written television dialogue while we (the audience) are to pretend they are all really Spaniards. Though when we see anything written down it is in Spanish. It's all just not very convincing.

In the midst of this is Mira Sorvino sporting a pretty good accent but looking very out of place with her blonde hair amid all the dark haired natives. Though it is explained she is half American she should have just died her hair. She pretty much plays the whole film with the same slightly worried or interested expression. There is no chemistry between her and co star Oliver Martinez and though her part isn't written to really carry the film she doesn't rise to the challenge to elevate the material. I guess in this case Mira Sorvino and Olivier Martinez were an item at the time and thought it would be fun to go to Europe and pretend to hate each other on film. She I guess comes off better since she seems like an actress giving a poor performance where he comes off as being a non actor trying to act mean and tough.

Speaking earlier of Clint Eastwood, Mira certainly is in need of Clint saving her post Oscar career the way he did for Hillary Swank.

Ciro Cappellari's location photography makes you want to go there but generates no suspense or style other than a surface gloss to the film. All the production levels are about on par with a really well produced cable movie but not really up to feature standards. The first crime scene is rather gruesome and the second killing is too but after that it's a dullish hunt for the killer structure. The revelation is something of a cheat but does nothing to revive your interest in the story by that point. Two supporting characters are sort of interesting, but so what? One of these is Alida Valli, who makes the most of what little they allow her to do here. She's at least an authentic 70's Euro character actress, having been in SUSPIRIA, LISA AND THE DEVIL, THE ANTICHRIST to name a few of her impressive credits. Mira Sorvino seems almost in awe of her during their scenes together and for good reason, Valli is actually acting! But Valli's presence, and she does have that, just reminds you how blandly directed the film is.

To increase the growing sense of inertia there are extended flashback sequences in the middle of the film set during the Spanish revolution revealing Valli's character's origins.

Asleep at the helm director, Pepe Danquart, got to love that name, directs a movie that cuts together properly but doesn't tell an exciting story. Nor is he able to get a good performance from his leading lady. Nothing is done poorly enough to become silly, other than one scene where Sorvino gets stuck to a staircase rail with a bull fighting pike through the hand and has to pretend she can't get free while fighting and stabbing occurs around her between the macho men.

Music score adds little except in some probably authentic Catholic parade scenes and source music. 5.1 mix does almost nothing with the surround channels.

ANGEL OF DEATH does little with anything. The DVD does offer trailers for a number of better movies available from MGM. Despite the Spanish setting the only alternate language is French which makes no sense given the large domestic U. S. video audience of Spanish speakers who might be interested in the film because of the setting. Oh well, perhaps this is a small mercy for them.

This movie has lots going for it. I only wish it had come together better.

Several of the performances are subtle and command our full attention. Alida Valli is stark and quietly brilliant as Dona Katrina as she tells her gripping tale from the war. Feodor Atkine is both confused and valiant as he searches for answers to the murders committed by the man in red. While other roles are too subtly played or bungled entirely. Mira Sorvino is adequate as the reflective outsider who is haunted by her past. Olivier Martinez, gives a one dimensional and overplayed role as the tough cop, solving crimes on the mean streets of Sevilla.

The cinematography is rife with scenes from Sevilla's rich historic architecture and the contrasts in light and shadow give this film a brooding quality. Filming from various angles during the Easter pageant lends depth as the police narrowly miss observing the murders first hand and totally miss their motive. The action scenes however, often appear as if happening in some other story and don't fully connected to the movement of the plot.

I did find this film worth watching to the end if only to find out "who dun-nit". Watch it when you are feeling somber and a little confused.

I'm shocked by all the negative reviews I've read on Angel of Death now that I've seen it. My rating of a 6/10 almost makes me look like a fanboy in comparison with what most people seem to think about Angel of Death. It may not be the best movie ever made, but it's certainly better than the garbage others seem to be labeling it. Take the criticisms I've seen leveled against Mira Sorvino. The charge - Sorvino sleepwalks through her performance. What these people call sleepwalking I tend to view as a nice, understated performance that works for me. It's like the old adage - one man's trash is another man's treasure.

The plot centers on a series of brutal murders being committed during the Spanish Holy Week celebrations in Seville by a red-hooded monk. Through their investigations, Sorvino and her compatriots discover a back-story of rape and greed dating back to the time of the Spanish Civil War. Sorvino must find the killer before she becomes the latest victims. This plot is, perhaps, the movies weakest point. It's interesting enough, but it's far too involved to completely explore in a roughly 90 minute movie. There are a few subplots that go nowhere and much is left to the viewer to figure out.

In many respects, Angel of Death seems to be an attempt to revive or at least revisit the European or Giallo thrillers of the past. A black-gloved hooded killer, a convoluted plot, beautiful cinematography, and violent death scenes all hearken to the glory days of the Euro-thriller. It's a shame this movie wasn't more well received because I would have enjoyed seeing more of this kind of film.