The structure of this movie reminds one of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." A sailor makes a substantial sum of money in a clandestine casino near Buenos Aires Harbor, meets an enigmatic woman who entrusts him with her own money, travels to Cañuelas (a midsize town in the plains of Buenos Aires Province 70 km. away) and checks in a rundown hotel apparently waiting for somebody to appear. He seems to be the only guest. Then (as in Psycho) the movie transitions somewhat brusquely into a horror movie. So far, so good; acting is first rate all around, the action moves fluidly and interest does not flag, although credibility is somewhat strained here and there.
The problem is in the ending. I found it impossible to take seriously; there is no amount of suspension-of-disbelief that will work here. It makes no sense to tell a director or scriptwriter how to do their job, but one can imagine a number of alternate endings that would make this movie quite acceptable. A pity.
The problem is in the ending. I found it impossible to take seriously; there is no amount of suspension-of-disbelief that will work here. It makes no sense to tell a director or scriptwriter how to do their job, but one can imagine a number of alternate endings that would make this movie quite acceptable. A pity.
