Ordeal, The

Year: 2004 Directed by: Fabrice Du Welz Cast: Laurent Lucas Jackie Berroyer Philippe Nahon Jean-Luc Couchard

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 A singer's car breaks down in the middle of
the woods. He gets help by a local who lives
close by. What he doesn't know is that what
saves him might also be the thing that kills
him as the man he's staying with turns out
to be a complete psychopath.

Let me start off by saying that I have very
mixed feelings towards this movie. It's a
very impressive and good-looking movie but it's
also a bit too downbeat for me. The first
forty minutes or so consist only of dialogue
and nothing exciting at all but after that
this odd beat French horror flick turns into
a Euro-art version of Misery. The director
claims that this is supposed to be shocking,
suspenseful and ultra violent, or so I have
heard, well I wouldn't call it any of that
really. However, the director has done a pretty
amazing job with this movie.

The movie looks very pale and has a constant
grey tone over it but that was probably
intended to make it feel unique. The
photography is therefore very special but I
would not have minded a little more contrast
in it. My favourite scene when it comes to
the camerawork is when the camera moves
through a window, it's breathtaking and I've
never seen anything like it, maybe I'm just
easily impressed though.

Calvaire, or The Ordeal as it's called in the
states is not a movie for everyone. It's not
the kind of movie you wish to see at a
theatre with popcorn and screaming teens.
You never get scared and it plays more on
the psychological level than on your nerves.
As I said before, I have very mixed feelings
towards this movie but ultimately I thought
that this was a very good movie and I highly
advice any fan of movies like Misery and
Deliverance to see this one.

Nothing worth mentioning.

This might very well be one of the first
movies that doesn't have a soundtrack at all.
There is absolutely no music, and I missed it.

Downbeat psychological horror thriller which
definitely isn't a movie for everyone. It
was clearly not made for the mainstream
audience but my question is; what audience
was it made for? Either way, if you're a
fan of films like Misery and Deliverance
you will have to check out this flick as
it is pretty damn good.

Review By: AnthroFred