{"id":2631,"date":"2013-03-01T22:34:42","date_gmt":"2013-03-01T21:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk\/reviews\/?p=2631"},"modified":"2013-03-03T22:37:33","modified_gmt":"2013-03-03T21:37:33","slug":"sleep-tight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk\/reviews\/2013\/03\/01\/sleep-tight\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Tight"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Sleep Tight<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\nFormat:<\/B> Cinema

\nRelease date:<\/B> 1 March 2013

\nVenues:<\/B> Key cities

\nDistributor:<\/B> Metrodome

\nDirector:<\/B> Jaume Balagueró

\nWriter:<\/B> Alberto Marini

\nOriginal title:<\/B> Mientras duermes<\/I>

\nCast:<\/B> Luis Tosar, Marta Etura, Alberto San Juan

\nSpain 2011

\n102 mins\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Focusing on seemingly mild-mannered concierge C\u00e9sar, Jaume Balagueró’s Sleep Tight<\/i> is an exceptional psycho-thriller that keeps its cards very close to its chest.<\/p>\n

While C\u00e9sar goes about his daily routine, doing odd jobs around the apartment building, most of the residents look right through him. However, C\u00e9sar has secrets no one would even imagine: he is an adept predator that hides under a meek appearance.<\/p>\n

C\u00e9sar\u2019s strange belief that he was born without the ability to be happy pushes him to start making a conscious effort to turn life hell for those around him. However, his methods are more deviant and despicable than any of the residents can imagine \u2013 and as Marta Etura\u2019s Clara proves almost impossible to crack, C\u00e9sar resorts to increasingly extreme measures.<\/p>\n

Taking a break from the Rec<\/i> franchise, Balagueró returns to his earlier style of filmmaking: tense and deftly handled camerawork coupled with a meticulous and disturbing story, which is revealed ever so slowly. Just like he did with Darkness<\/i> Balagueró uses shadow and light to great effect \u2013 considering the setting, this is an approach that pays off handsomely. It\u2019s a further joy that the film\u2019s high production values accentuate the terror of C\u00e9sar\u2019s actions: modernity and comfort clash with his disturbing intentions in a series of tableaux that push the audience out of their comfort zone time and time again.<\/p>\n

Spanish superstar Luis Tosar is incredible as C\u00e9sar, pulling off a performance that can easily rival the best within the genre. With his nondescript appearance and almost shy mannerism he is one of the most dangerous men ever to be portrayed on screen, proving that one does not need loud noises to scare the audience.<\/p>\n

Screenwriter Alberto Marini knows exactly how to toy with audiences\u2019 expectations and turns the screws multiple times through the compact running time \u2013 even seasoned viewers will find themselves disturbed by where the film\u2019s plot line is going to. His real achievement, however, lies in getting the audience to identify with a character like C\u00e9sar: in one exquisitely plotted, breathtaking set-piece it\u2019s hard not to wish for the psychotic handyman to get away with his actions.<\/p>\n

All in all, Sleep Tight<\/i> is one of the most disturbing and brilliantly made genre films to come out of Spain within the last few years, which, considering Spain\u2019s prolific output, is a genuine achievement.<\/p>\n

Evrim Ersoy<\/B><\/I><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jaume Balaguer&#243’s Sleep Tight<\/i> is an exceptional psycho-thriller that keeps its cards very close to its chest.
\nReview by Evrim Ersoy<\/B><\/I><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,1],"tags":[111,587,590,588,589],"class_list":["post-2631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-check-it-out","category-cinema-releases","tag-horror-film","tag-jaume-balaguero","tag-psycho-thriller","tag-rec","tag-spanish-film"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","wps_subtitle":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/purUP-Gr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1523,"url":"http:\/\/www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk\/reviews\/2011\/02\/13\/in-their-sleep\/","url_meta":{"origin":2631,"position":0},"title":"In Their Sleep","author":"VirginieSelavy","date":"February 13, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Clocking in at a lean 79 minutes, Caroline and Eric du Potet's In Their Sleep is a creepy little psycho-thriller that makes the most out of comparatively little. 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