A rather interesting film about one poor woman, and her lifetime of suffering.
After losing her leg in a tragedy, which killed the rest of her family.
She meets her fantasy husband.
Gets married.
And pursues the dream of having children.
Only to lose the twins she was carrying, and wind up barren as a result.
Fortunately (or what seems so at the time, at least), the couple is offered to take on a set of twins- who are straight out of Village Of The Damned- as adoptees.
Of course, they agree to do so.
Despite the fact that her husband is hesitant to (as a result of their creepiness).
A decision they might not live to regret...
Because the kids are obsessed with the bible.
Which they interpret in an extremely fundamentalist way.
Albeit, with a stretch of (a dark) imagination.
As they range from asphyxiating each other (to commune with God)...to indulging in straight up murder, in no uncertain terms.
Plotwise, things move along in a pretty straight forward way.
With the actions the kids take becoming more extreme as the film progresses.
Eventually, pushing their adopted parents to the point where they can't take it anymore.
Forcing them to send the twins back to the convent from which they came.
Though, not until after the couple have a child of their own (which seems to have made the two children jealous).
Despite the title, the film focuses, mostly, on the mental breakdown of Lola- the kid's adopted mother- played, amazingly, by Melina Smit.
Whom, by the end of the film, has gone full Wendy Torrance (even looking like Shelley Duvall, after she has lopped off all her hair).
In fact, it's less the creepiness of the kids that gets to you, as a viewer.
And, more the trauma she is forced to endure.
Leaving no doubt, that she must have inherited a curse, or something.
Because she is living a life of pure damnation.
Interestingly, the kids treat her husband like he is Jesus.
And her, as if she were the spawn of Satan.
Mostly, because her terrible luck has made her question God.
So it's kind of a surprise to see the twist at the end play out as a sort of unity of opposites.
With, what one can only assume to be, a Verdi-esque moment, being the final straw (based on the children's tweaked Shining-like abilities).
Which ultimately leads to an ending you were doubtfully expecting by this point.
Obvious influences aside.
The film is quite beautifully shot.
With all the actors doing a great job.
Particularly 10 year old actress Anastasia Russo.
Who stands out, as someone who will, no doubt, develop into an international superstar, one day.
The fact that you can already tell she has what it takes, is a testament to her superstar potential.
As for the film, itself, on the other hand...it took a while for it to win me over.
But that penultimate scene did it for me.
With the conclusion catching me off guard (a fresh change of pace).
Mostly, because it made me uneasy.
Which is how I know it was effective.
So, while, I don't think it's a film that everyone will enjoy.
Considering it's Rubin Stein's first feature and all.
It certainly gets a recommendation from me.
As I look forward to what he comes up with next.
5.5 out of 10.
After losing her leg in a tragedy, which killed the rest of her family.
She meets her fantasy husband.
Gets married.
And pursues the dream of having children.
Only to lose the twins she was carrying, and wind up barren as a result.
Fortunately (or what seems so at the time, at least), the couple is offered to take on a set of twins- who are straight out of Village Of The Damned- as adoptees.
Of course, they agree to do so.
Despite the fact that her husband is hesitant to (as a result of their creepiness).
A decision they might not live to regret...
Because the kids are obsessed with the bible.
Which they interpret in an extremely fundamentalist way.
Albeit, with a stretch of (a dark) imagination.
As they range from asphyxiating each other (to commune with God)...to indulging in straight up murder, in no uncertain terms.
Plotwise, things move along in a pretty straight forward way.
With the actions the kids take becoming more extreme as the film progresses.
Eventually, pushing their adopted parents to the point where they can't take it anymore.
Forcing them to send the twins back to the convent from which they came.
Though, not until after the couple have a child of their own (which seems to have made the two children jealous).
Despite the title, the film focuses, mostly, on the mental breakdown of Lola- the kid's adopted mother- played, amazingly, by Melina Smit.
Whom, by the end of the film, has gone full Wendy Torrance (even looking like Shelley Duvall, after she has lopped off all her hair).
In fact, it's less the creepiness of the kids that gets to you, as a viewer.
And, more the trauma she is forced to endure.
Leaving no doubt, that she must have inherited a curse, or something.
Because she is living a life of pure damnation.
Interestingly, the kids treat her husband like he is Jesus.
And her, as if she were the spawn of Satan.
Mostly, because her terrible luck has made her question God.
So it's kind of a surprise to see the twist at the end play out as a sort of unity of opposites.
With, what one can only assume to be, a Verdi-esque moment, being the final straw (based on the children's tweaked Shining-like abilities).
Which ultimately leads to an ending you were doubtfully expecting by this point.
Obvious influences aside.
The film is quite beautifully shot.
With all the actors doing a great job.
Particularly 10 year old actress Anastasia Russo.
Who stands out, as someone who will, no doubt, develop into an international superstar, one day.
The fact that you can already tell she has what it takes, is a testament to her superstar potential.
As for the film, itself, on the other hand...it took a while for it to win me over.
But that penultimate scene did it for me.
With the conclusion catching me off guard (a fresh change of pace).
Mostly, because it made me uneasy.
Which is how I know it was effective.
So, while, I don't think it's a film that everyone will enjoy.
Considering it's Rubin Stein's first feature and all.
It certainly gets a recommendation from me.
As I look forward to what he comes up with next.
5.5 out of 10.