ACROSS THE RIVER

(A.k.a. OLTRE IL GUADO)

Bearded "ethologist and naturalist" Marco (Marco Marchese) takes to the Slovenian countryside, where he's used to trapping animals and affixing cameras to them in a bid to monitor their behaviour in the wild.

On this particular occasion, he records verbal notes of his findings - which include a dead boar and forestry that's otherwise hauntingly bereft of its usual wildlife.

As he ventures deeper into the woods, Marco stumbles upon an ancient village that now stands apparently deserted. Checking it out in closer detail, he discovers deer carcasses and decides to set up camp so he can investigate further.

While exploring the village's old schoolhouse, he unearths a class photograph in which two girls are dressed in identical white dresses. Both have had their faces smudged to the point of obscurity.

Could these seemingly innocuous children be behind the strange noises Marco hears in the night? Could they be the reason the village now stands empty? And, could they be responsible for the trail of dead animals that has led Marco this far?

If so, what will get to him first - the girly ghosts, or the solitude that's slowly driving him spare as he finds himself trapped by a deluge of non-stop rain?

If you care, you are far more curious than I am. I did, however, sit through all 88 minutes of Lorenzo Bianchini's tepid, mainly dialogue-free ghost story, so I can reveal that answers are provided in the fullness of time. I'm not sharing them though - I sat through it, so you have to too if you really want to know the outcome!

In its favour, ACROSS THE RIVER is well shot (cinematographer Daniele Trani does a great job of making the Topolo locations both gorgeous and sinister) and Marchese has screen presence, aided by the fact that he has a look of Clint Eastwood/Hugh Jackman about him at times.

But this is slow, grinding fare. Those looking to get absorbed in the atmosphere will find plenty of rainy night scenes, whispered sound design and mournful cello on the score. How far this will carry you before you start hoping for something more, expecting a plot advancement of any description, is anyone's guess.

At 49 minutes in, a second character is cautiously introduced into the film. I say "cautiously", because it's another 8 minutes before they get up off their arse or even utter a line of dialogue. Then, admittedly, things get moving a little (well, the speed increases from 0 to 5mph) as we learn the history of the village and how it ties in with Marco's current predicament. Even then though, the tempo never really breaks a sweat - and a sense of threat is never truly felt.

Because ACROSS THE RIVER is good in technical terms (performances, lighting, cinematography, sound) and because it dares to dodge that which we've grown to expect from Italian horror films - Fulci-type gore, Argento-type operatics - I can't really condemn it as a bad film. In fact, it's something worse: a nondescript, instantly forgettable 'meh' of a film.

ACROSS THE RIVER comes to UK DVD uncut courtesy of Monster Pictures and is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Enhanced for 16x9 televisions, the picture quality is generally good. Blacks cope well, contrast is nice and deep. Colours are weak at times but that appears to be a stylistic choice. The picture is mainly sharp so detail is fine throughout.

Italian audio comes in 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. Both boast decent separation, though the latter doesn't really have much to do for the most part. Optional English subtitles come in yellow with a black borderline, ensuring that they're easily readable at all times.

Monster Pictures' DVD opens to a static main menu page. From there, an animated scene selection menu allows access to the film via 10 chapters.

Bonus features commence with an atmospheric 26-minute documentary wherein Bianchini walks us through the locations used in the film, explaining how they inspired his story and how old stone rooms were converted into menacing sets for the shoot. He also covers the downside of filming in December, the collection of unusual props for the film, and much more.

Bianchini is also on hand to offer a 32-second introduction to Trani's short film "A Night With Friends". He reveals that he acted as key grip on this "strong content movie".

"A Night With Friends" is indeed an interesting addition to this disc. Stylishly shot and well-acted by its two male leads, it's essentially two guys sat chatting one evening in their car. One is going through a midlife crisis, the other is trying to reassure his pal that he has plenty to be grateful for. But there's more to it than that - only, I'm not giving anything away ... Funny, smart and slick, this is a fine way of spending 18 minutes.

A 73-second trailer for ACROSS THE RIVER isn't very informative and doesn't convey Trani's attractive compositions very well.

ACROSS THE RIVER is a mildly diverting thriller - perhaps too mild for its own good. It's somewhat eclipsed by the superior short film "A Night With Friends" on Monster Pictures' decent DVD.

Review by Stuart Willis