Babycall

Noomi Repace, who in my opinion is one of the most interesting actors out there, brought me to this Swedish thriller. Let me just say before anything, that this isn't one of those in-your face thrillers, or even particularly fast paced and racy. It's one of those films that have the really dense stories, that most people can't guess the end to.

'The Monitor' shows Noomi Repace playing Anna, a overprotective, paranoid mother, coming out of a traumatic experience with her husband. Her primal instinct is to protect her son, but there's something unusual going on around her, and the disturbed Anna can't quite wrap her finger around it.

The acting in this film is extremely natural, and its well written. The suspense is worth the final reveal, and is quite rewarding to those who patiently sit through the entire film. If you're a fan of story-oriented thrillers, this film is worth watching once.

I came to Babycall really not knowing anything much at all about the film. Half way through I was just about ready to give up on it. As an ex-teacher I'm really not that much into films about over-possessive, paranoid, helicopter parents doting over their frequently brattish offspring. I've been there, done that, enough times to last way more than this lifetime. And that's what Babycall seemed to be about. Noomi Rapace playing (against her famed Lisbeth Solander persona) this demented, self-possessed single mother of an 8 year-old boy, attempting to escape the legal clutches of an unseen, supposedly violent father, with the very much qualified assistance of a couple of children's services officers.

Let's be clear here too, that Rapace is very convincing in the role which has her onscreen, a great deal of the first half of this Norwegian film, which is probably better summed up by its US title "The Monitor". Ever so gradually some unexpected supernatural elements are added to this dysfunctional family drama to change the substance and core elements of the film completely. Crucial to this slow-burning metamorphosis is the role of Kristoffer Joner who plays an electrical appliances retail salesperson, who appears somewhat oddly sympathetic to the mother's continual quandaries.

I don't wish to spoil much more of the narrative, except to say that's it's pretty clear that even a number of reviewers on these pages haven't fully understood Helge's (Joner) role, or abilities, in what plays out. If they had they wouldn't be rabbiting on about plot holes that don't exist. Suffice to say the third act of Babycall contains a couple of doozy little twists that I certainly (thankfully) never saw coming and which completely change the complexion of earlier parts of the film and the way we may have initially viewed them.

Director Pål Sletaune deserves plaudits for the way he has constructed Babycall. It's a creepily intriguing movie, but one that eschews the cinematic traditions of nocturnal, dimly-lit scenes and haunting soundtracks. Much of the action takes place during the day in rather brightly lit buildings and rooms. He seems to have gone out of his way to turn on its head, the way one might go about filming a supernatural/horror tale and he does so, very successfully.

I'm only mildly surprised that Hollywood hasn't come calling seeking the rights to the inevitable remake. This is a very fine movie, but one that I think has just too much subtlety and nuance for North American audiences ( the IMDB rating of 5.7 is indicative of what I'm saying) seeking an adrenaline burst of quick thrills, dominating sound and explosive action set pieces. Make sure you watch till the end.

With the huge success of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and later on Prometheus, Noomi Rapace has become a well established actress, and if you are interested in seeing her in something closer to her home you can check out this movie. Directed by Pål Sletaune (Next Door, You Really Got Me) it has that strange and almost surreal atmosphere (almost surreal, more like super surreal), so besides the Norwegian vibe you have the surreal one too. Two phenomenal leads, Noomi Rapace and Kristoffer Joner create a perfect setting for Babycall. While Kristoffer didn't have much transitions to go to, Noomi here had the opportunity to take us on a journey to a mind of a single mother and she did it perfectly. We can understand different states of her mind, without any words spoken and follow her mental state as the story develops.

Anna and her son Anders have just moved into a new apartment after her husband tried to kill Anders. They now live in hiding and await the final court decision about the custody of Anders. Anna, afraid for her sons wellbeing is overprotective and is practically glued to Anders. This will be a problem when it's time for him to go back to school, and she nervously accepts this only after being chased away from school grounds. Still in fear that her husband will find them she goes to a store and buys a baby monitor. There she will meet Helge, a shy salesman troubled by his mothers illness and two of them will become friends. Trouble starts when Anna starts hearing something that sounds like an abuse and brutal beating over the baby monitor. After consulting with Helge she discovers that this is an interference from another baby monitor only 50 meters away. This is the same time when mind will start playing tricks on her, making it extremely difficult for her to get to the bottom of this...

Babycall is a strange movie, and while some might find it a bit slow, it is quite rewarding if you watch it 'till the end. It is a different take on the same thriller/horror subject so popular in Hollywood, but it definitely has its flaws. One of the main ones is the sudden turn in mood towards the end of the movie, and relatively confusing story with the heavy lifting left to the viewer.

Movie recommendations site: Rabbit-Reviews.com - Only movies worth watching

This is the tag-line of much awaited new film from Pål Sletaune (behind the great films "Naboer", "Amatørene" and "Budbringeren") is starring Noomi Rapace and Kristoffer Joner. Seven years since "naboer" or in English "next door", we get a film with similar ideas - a look into disturbed or distorted minds.

Single mother Anna moves with her 8 year old son to a big flat with secret address outside Oslo to get away from her violent husband. Anna is scared stiff that they will be found, and is under heavy watch by a couple of child care workers. She get's the idea of buying a baby call so that her son doesn't have to sleep in her bed, only to find that the baby call picks up another troubled child somewhere in the flat. Anna is really on the edge, and maybe her imagination is playing her as well!?

This psychological thriller goes under your skin in the sympathy for Anna and the other troubled minds in this film. You want her to relax, but still understand how difficult it is when you trust no one.

Really great play by Rapace. She gets under your skin. The film is slow paced in a couple of periods, only to speed up at times, just as real life would be in such a situation. The film is not like you think it will be, so this is not your standard thriller. I still think I'd like another ending to this, though maybe not happy...

Well Sletaune can put another great film under his belt. Always worthwhile and interesting to get sucked into his stories. Well done!

Babycall is a sparse psychological mystery / thriller by writer / director Pal Sletaune, centred on a convincing and naturalistic performance by Noomi Rapace, with excellent support from Kristopher Joner as her character's awkward admirer and Vetle Qvenild Werring as her son Anders. As a claustrophobic mood piece, it is effective, and Rapace gives an accomplished performance, as should be expected by those who know her work. Events are bleak and the central character is troubled, and it is not a comfortable watch, but ultimately likely to be somewhat satisfying for fans of the genre, if perhaps only for the central performances, since horror is not a word that sits well in its description.