Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes)

A Filmax relieve a Filmax Entertainment presentation from the Castelao Producciones production while using participation of TVE, Canal Plus, TVC. (Worldwide sales: Filmax, Barcelona.) Produced by Julio Fernandez. Executive producers, Carlos Fernandez, Alberto Marini. Directed by Jaume Balaguero. Script, Alberto Marini, based on his novel.With: Luis Tosar, Marta Etura, Alberto San Juan, Iris Almeida, Petra Martinez, Carlos Lasarte, Margarita Roset.A dark thriller a great unhappy Barcelona apartment-block concierge set on destroying the happiness of others, "Sleep Tight" is built to give auds sleep deprived nights, and mostly works. Getting a shudder-inducing perf from Luis Tosar, pic reps a worthy addition for the eminently marketable canon of recent The the spanish language language horror, as helmer Jaume Balaguero capably handles an even more classical approach to genre in comparison to mock-doc technique used for your "Rec" gorefests he co-helmed. Good opening-weekend B.O. in the united states needs to be then solid sales offshore. Immediately, it's apparent that Cesar's (Tosar) reliance on happy-go-lucky Clara (Marta Etura) will finish badly. Clara's perpetual radiance irritates the beetle-browed Cesar, who sights themselves incompetent at such pleasure. Cesar has clearly not successful charm school. The tactics he utilizes to upset Clara include delivering disturbing anonymous letters, entering her apartment throughout the evening to inject her face care cream getting a liquid that will leave her with welts, and lounging under her bed mattress while she sleeps before quietly giving her chloroform and sliding in in mattress. But preteen neighbor Ursula (Iris Almeida) could be Cesar's techniques, and starts blackmailing him. Through the daytime, Cesar musters all the sweetness and light-weight they can, fostering in the dogs possessed by senior citizens resident Veronica (Petra Martinez). But after he releases of a kilo of roaches into Clara's apartment, she leaves the structure, which was not his intention. After she returns with boyfriend Marcos (Alberto San Juan), an amount more annoyed Cesar ups the stakes. Tosar, getting shipped most likely probably the most memorably over-the-top psycho perf in recent The the spanish language language cinema in Daniel Monzon's "Cell 211," here shows they can embody a whole different register of sociopath. Fawning, mumbling and humble throughout your day, Cesar throughout the evening becomes as quick, dark and morally oblivious since the roaches he's revealed Tosar's intensely compelling perf may also be more disquieting in comparison to fast-moving plotline are equipped for. Though it may be overstating products towards the script produces sympathy for Cesar, it's careful at the begining of moments showing his cruelty as pathetically childish. Pic's focus can be a scene that stylishly straddles farce and horror as Cesar is locked in Clara's apartment with Clara and Marcos. It's evidence of ale scribe Alberto Marini (adapting their very own novel) that audiences will uncover themselves, hopefully irritatingly, rooting for your villain. Indeed, Tosar's perf is sufficiently gripping to paper over some credibility defects, mostly attracting the incredible all the best Cesar seems to own when carrying out his obviously completely laid plans. Etura (furthermore a "Cell 211" vet) does decent work, but is hampered because Clara is passive and basically uninteresting. The clumsiest moments have Cesar confessing to his make the hospital mother (Margarita Roset) -- unnecessary given pic utilizes voice-over. Like the two "Rec" films released up to now, "Sleep Tight" is positioned mostly in the single apartment block, and Pablo Rossi's lensing turns its old, creaking elevators and shadowy spaces and crannies into an correctly Medieval backdrop that juxtaposes nicely while using apparent pastels and streaming sunlight of Clara's apartment. Extensive usage of closeups produces some creepily textured images and intensifies the general sense of claustrophobia. Patti Page's 1955 hit "Keep Me inside your mindInch may be used inside a couple of sequences, somewhat unsubtly illustrating the truism that love can be a hazardously obsessive game.Camera (color, widescreen), Pablo Rosso editor, Guillermo p la Cal music, Lucas Vidal production designer, Javier Alvarino costume designer, Marian Coromina appear (Dolby Digital), Oriol Tarrago, Jordi Rossinyol. Examined at Cines Princesa, Madrid, March. 17, 2011. (Also in Fantastic Fest Sitges Film Festival.) Running time: 108 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com