Jaume Balaguero does a bang-up job on this hospital ghost chiller!
I'm going to be frank...ghost stories really don't do much for me. I don't get into Ghost Hunters or anything like that, and never have. Although I do remember reading Jeffrey's Alabama ghosts when I was a child. The idea of ghosts is that it's time captured in a bottle, and usually that time is surrounded by tragic occurrences. For instance, I still remember the story of the man that was innocently convicted and was looking at the mob outside the window before his execution. As he put his face to the window, lightning stuck and imprinted his face into the window pane image. He was found innocent after his execution, but the image of his face remained almost like a curse to the townsfolk that wronged him. Stuff like that I like. But when you have a ghost story that involves innocent children getting hurt, well that raises the stakes quite a bit. This is one of those films...
This movie starts off disturbingly enough, with a clearly troubled nurse Susan (Susie Trayling) and doctor Marcus (Richard Roxburgh) dealing with a young boy Simon that has mysteriously broken a leg bone in bed, and then has another fracture before than can finish X-raying him. Also, there seems to be a bond between Susan and the girl patient Maggie (Yasmine Murphy). Enter Calista Flockhart's character Amy to take over the night shift duties. She also forms a bond with Maggie and starts to realize that maybe things in this hospital are not quite what they seem. Nurse Folder (Gemma Jones) doesn't put up with a lot of nonsense, especially ghost stories told by children and threatens Amy her job if she doesn't settle down. But fellow nurse Helen (Elena Anaya) seems a bit distraught herself...yelling at the children and not having a lot of patience.
Amy hears Maggie talk of a girl called Charlotte, and we learn that Amy herself has some history. While it's not explained thoroughly, we do know that some negligence on her part caused a child to either die or be injured and she lives with that guilt, popping pills on a regular basis. The hospital is being closed down and only a few children remain, and the more that are taken out the worse things get. We are told that Maggie has Cystic Fibrosis and doesn't have much longer to live, and Amy finds out that she has "seen" Charlotte. She also finds out that the former nurse Susan fled the hospital out of fear. Amy is becoming more and more unglued and what is with the 2nd floor that the elevator cannot reach....at least on it's own means of operation. Who is Charlotte and why are the children getting hurt? This all leads up to some detective work and the shocking truth is revealed, but can the children be saved in time? Can the hospital be saved in time?
There is some great acting in this, especially by Richard Roxburgh and Calista Flockhart. The supporting cast is equally impressive especially Roy (Colin McFarlane) as an aide to the hospital.. And this is beautifully shot by Xavi Gimenez...the halls of this hospital just echo atmosphere. As far as gore is concerned, this is really not bloody...it's more about the mystery unraveling about the history of hospital and one of it's patients. I was satisfied with the story they wove here. The reveal is pieced together quite nicely. Although we do see some graphic depictions of surgery, they are brief. And, there may be a plot hole or two here, and the movie doesn't exactly move at a lighting pace, but I appreciated the character development, especially the bond between Amy and Maggie. People you care about makes it much harder to watch when they get hurt. I have read some of the IMDB forum postings and they accusations that this film is boring...but in order for a ghost story to be good, the history has to be established, so i'm on the other side of the fence and think this one of the better ghost story films I have seen. I gave it 4 stars on my netflix queue based on acting alone. This is a superbly well acted little ghost story, that IMO is a cut above the rest. Just be warned that it is more story than special effects.
8 out of 10
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