TIMECRIMES

(A.k.a. LOS CRONOCRIMENES)

Hector (Karra Elejalde) returns to his new home one afternoon and, shattered, sets about whiling the rest of the day avoiding physical exertion. This involves a spell in bed, getting up to answer the telephone and being disturbed by the lack of a response on the other end of the line, a spot of afternoon delight with wife Clara (Candela Fernandez) and admiring the local forestry through his binoculars while Clara busies herself unpacking their garden furniture.

While looking through his binoculars, Hector spies a comely young lady (Barbara Goenaga) peeling her top off to reveal a very nice pair of breasts. With Carla retired to their house, Hector cautiously makes his way into the nearby woods for a closer perv.

When he reaches the girl, she's perched up against a tree completely naked and sleeping. Slowly he moves in closer ... when a masked assailant stabs him in his arm with a pair of scissors. Hector flees, catching a glimpse of his attacker - their face obscured by a blood-soaked towel - as he races towards a nearby house for sanctuary.

Hector breaks in to the building and begins to investigate the curious dwelling while Blondie's "Picture This" plays through speakers. Seeking medical attention for his arm wound, Hector travels deeper into the house and stumbles upon a laboratory ran by the enigmatic El Joven (Nacho Vigalondo).

El Joven advises that the attacker has chased Hector and is now outside, trying to get in. He suggests that Hector can hide inside a contraption he has devised. Hector is eventually convinced to do so, only to discover upon exiting the contraption that he climbed into a time machine that has now sent him an hour back in time.

Disorientated, Hector sprints to the edge of the woods and peers through his binoculars ... where he is able to witness him and Clara in the garden, carrying on precisely as they were an hour earlier. Frantic, Hector starts to make his way home - until El Joven points out that he can't just turn up there, on account of him already being there!

Instead, he follows El Joven back into his laboratory where the bearded young scientist explains how Hector must be careful not to invade the life of the Hector they're observing, one hour earlier, so that he too can find his way to the time machine in an hour's time ...

After a brief lesson in time travel (courtesy of El Joven and his trusted marker pen on white paper), things become more complex as Hector learns the identity of the man in the pink towel, the relevance of the girl in the woods and the danger his wife may be in ...

To give too much away about TIMECRIMES is robbing the viewer of a lot of fun. This is a rare treat: an intelligent, thought-provoking film that relies on understated performances and low-key dramatics to propel its inventive storyline. With little in the way of special effects, this is science fiction at its most base - and all the better for it.

The first deliciously clever conceit comes when Hector calls home from El Joven's laboratory - and inadvertently creates the strange call he received in his own home an hour earlier. It's the first of many smart plays on time and audience expectancies, all delivered with an assured deftness by writer-director Vigalondo.

Performances from Vigalondo and Elejalde keep the film's heart beating, adding a warmth and humour to the otherwise clever but cold scenario. And for such a low-fi film, it's fitting that the use of cast is just as economic as are the effects.

For this, TIMECRIMES emerges as an immensely entertaining slice of TWILIGHT ZONE-esque weirdness. It's bizarre and original, but easy enough to follow and richly rewarding if you stick with it.

Other reviewers have compared the film to the likes of INTACTO and MEMENTO. While their observations are not wholly inaccurate, TIMECRIMES is perhaps not as involved or as strange as either of those models. It's a simpler, more direct form of storytelling - a small tale in comparison.

But it often looks great, despite it's lack of big budget sheen or scope in terms of locations. And, it's got to be said, there is little better in cinema than a film that is filled with ideas (even though a few of them are predictable to an extent: the identity of the figure behind the pink towel is no real revelation). Perhaps a tad too long to support it's own plot, however inspired it may be, TIMECRIMES still comes recommended.

The film is convoluted but never confusing - you can follow it's time-travel plot, despite the fact you get the distinct impression while viewing that you're perhaps not meant to. The shuffling of time lines is handled in an adept manner, not alienating the viewer but allowing them the opportunity to gather their wits and keep abreast of the plot.

This film has won several festival awards, including special prizes at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival and the Austin Fantastic Fest, along with a 2nd place Jury prize at the esteemed Fant-Asia Film Festival and the "Danger After Dark" gong at the Philadelphia Film Festival.

The film looks great in an accurately muted 1.78:1 anamorphic picture. Colour schemes are weak, and this is intentional. The film is a dark, bleak one visually - the transfer here is apt. Blacks are strong and detail is rich. Images are a tad soft in general, but this seems to be more to do with the film's own low budget origins.

The original Spanish audio track is served well by both 2.0 and 5.1 mixes. Solid bass is added to the 5.1 mix, bolstering the sound effects here and there. By and large though, the two mixes are equal in providing an accurate and consistent playback to complement the frequently memorable visuals. Optional English subtitles are both easy to read and free from any discernible typing errors.

An enormously attractive animated main page leads into a static scene-selection menu split across three pages, allowing access to the main feature via 12 chapters.

The only film-related extra on the disc is a trailer, which clocks in at 100 seconds in length and is presented in 16x9 enhanced 1.78:1 with forced English subtitles.

The disc is defaulted to open with trailers for THE WRESTLER (2.35:1 anamorphic), THE SIGNAL (1.78:1 anamorphic) and CHE PART 1 (2.35:1 anamorphic).

That's your lot in terms of extras. This is disappointing, as the US disc from Magnolia contains a Making Of documentary, cast and crew interviews, the short film "7:35 de la Manana", and several other mini-featurettes.

A solid thriller equipped with decent performances, a great rousing score from Eugenio Mira and a delightfully twisted script the likes of which we don't see often these days - TIMECRIMES is a film to catch. Preferably before the rumoured US remake gets made ...

However, it's a shame the UK disc is so barren compared to the aforementioned US release ...

Review by Stu Willis