Bosque de sombras (2007)

	Directed by: Koldo Serra	COUNTRY UK/France/Spain GENRE Drama/Thriller INTERNATIONAL TITLE Backwoods RUNNING TIME 98 minutes
	Produced by: Guillaume Benski Julio Fernández Aitor Lizarralde Pablo Mehler Iker Monfort Jolyon Symonds
	Written by: Jon Sagalá Koldo Serra

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Paul	Gary Oldman
Norman	Paddy Considine	½
Isabel	Aitana Sánchez-Gijón	½
Lucy	Virginia Ledoyen	½
Paco	Llúis Homar

Review

Modelled after John Boorman's Deliverance, Koldo Serra's Bosque de sombras feels good, has quality behind the camera, and strives not to portray its characters as one-dimensional. At first glance, it largely succeeds, as Gary Oldman gives life to a complex, authentic and highly interesting character, and Serra presents him with an intriguing mystery, backed up by a wonderful musical score. It's quite obvious from the outset what kind of tone is lurking beneath, but it seems reasonable enough, as long as the characters and the clash between them are given the right treatment. They ultimately are only partially. As it progresses and the tension intensifies, Bosque de sombras becomes less composed and more unmotivated. There are too many questions left unanswered, such as the girl's situation or the motivation of the Paddy Considine character towards the end. The film also suffers quite a bit from the language barrier faced by actors Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Virginia Ledoyen. The problem isn't their accents, but rather that their line delivery in English seems forced, as if they were reading off a teleprompter. Also, Considine's idea of 'uncertain man pushed into a corner' is vague at best. The final twenty minutes of this film land somewhere between predictable and random – without quite being able to shake off either feeling. Oldman is the only real treat, with a few brilliant scenes that elevate the picture – take a look at how he accepts the praise he receives from Paco when the two practice shooting together. That is acting with a sense of detail.