El niño de barro (2007) Reviews

• Murder mystery co-produced by Spain/Argentina with good actors and nice production design

  ma-cortes2018-07-25

  Argentina , Spain Production inspired by actual deeds , dealing with a series of cruel kiddies killings spreading throughout 1912 Buenos Aires . It stars a 10-year-old little boy called Mateo who has murder visions , as his mind takes him eerie records and becomes the main witness to the grisly killings ; he is well cared by his mummy Stella : Maribel Verdu .Meanwhile , his mother tries to demonstrate his innocence , and the Police Inspector , Commissario Petrie : Daniel Freire and the skeptic forensic Doctor Soria : Chete Lera attempt to hunt down the series killer who is executing a criminal spree and hopefully find out clear explanations about the supernatural conduct of the weird little boy . Acceptable suspense movie with an interesting script based on actual events and about "Murder Visions" , a common issue treated on Hollywood pictures . At the end takes place a surprising and violent climax in which Mateo's secret is unrevealed , then the people go bersek and the total chaos taking over the streets with unexpected and tragic consequences . It stars Maribel Verdu who gives a good acting as the suffering mother who attempts to defend his son Mateo , Juan Ciancio , as the boy who hides a dark secret and turns as a witness for prosecution, as well as the prime suspect . And awesome performance by Daniel Freire as persistent investigator and Chete Lera as stubborn doctor . Well produced by Carlos Fernandez and Julio Fernandez from Filmax and Castelao Films . They have financed a lot of successes of all kinds of genres , such as Terror : Rec saga , Mientras duermes , Retornados , La posesion Emma Evans , Paintball , El monstruo del pozo , Quarantine , Los sin nombre ; Cartoon and kiddies films : Copito de Nieve , El Cid , Donkey Xote , Manolito Gafotas , Mola ser Jefe , Perez ratoncito de sueños , Los Dalton contra Lucky Luke and Dramas/Thrillers as Cobardes , Transsiberian , Machinist , Transssiberian , Bullying , 13 Campanadas , Muertos comunes , Morir en San Hilario, Tierra de Fuego , Sexo por compasion, Fotos , Heroes sin patria , among others . The motion picture was well directed by Jorge Algora , a good filmmaker who has made a few films .As he directed Inevitable 2013 , Mintiendo la vida , and and some documentary as Camino de Santiago , Emigrantes and Tierra de naufragios. This "Mudboy" won several prizes , such as : Silver Condor : best costume design , Best art direction; Goya nominated best original song ; Mestre Mateo winner : Best actor Chete Lera , best music , and best screenplay.

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• Argentinian child murderer

  jayjasejason2008-02-08

  This film tells the story of a series of murders based on the real case of "el Petiso Orejudo" in Argentina in the early part of the 20th century. It's filmed from the point of view of another child, who has the visions of the murders. Or is he the real killer? Maribel Verdu is understated in her portrayal of a poor woman in a chauvinistic society trying to cope with a jealous lover and son who's claims are suspicious to say the least. Abel Ayala is excellent in his role as a pathetic kid born into misery and poverty. On the whole a fine film, good actors and an interesting story, well directed make for a good watch as the story develops to it's tragic end.

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• Children can also be evil...

  nicolasito2007-05-20

  An eight year old Argentinian shook his country in 1904 after trying to murder a 21 month old out of pure cruelty. He would eventually murder four other children after trying to kill seven more. This movie is his story, a story of marginalization, abject poverty, abuse, diseases and neglect about a retarded boy who was systematically abused by the society he lived in and who lost any capacity to feel or judge his own acts. Still, the director chose a different viewpoint to tell his story, by telling about one of his victims, another boy, who feels a special domination link to his attacker. OK, this is the summary. Now, can anybody tell me how can it have a 5.3 and several votes, from 1! to 10!, if it has not been released by now (May 20th 2007)??? Let's be serious, if we intend to keep this forum as a guide for other moviegoers...

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• The carousel

  jotix1002009-12-28

  A traumatized 10 year old poor boy, Mateo, living in the Buenos Aires of 1912, has supernatural powers. He was abused at an early age. Living in precarious condition with her mother, Estela, and her policeman lover, Octavio, he gets visions about crimes being committed by an unknown serial killer. The police suspects Mateo to know much more than he reveals. After several horrendous murders involving children start happening in a poor neighborhood, the police is puzzled as to the motive and the identity of the assassin. There is a photographer who is involved in child pornography at the root of some of the killings. This man even comes to Mateo asking him to pose for him with another young girl. Mateo is horrified, and walks away from the man. Mateo who loves to run tends to play with a group of poor kids from his neighborhood. Mateo is the only positive link the police has to get to the serial killer. Director Jorge Algora, a Spaniard document maker, makes his regular feature debut with a tale of horror, based on a real case that occurred in Buenos Aires in the first part of the twentieth century. Mr. Algora also help in the adaptation of the original material. The movie is too somber for its own good. The gloomy atmosphere, made even darker by Suso Bello's cinematography, did not help the overall effect of doom from the start of the story. Maribel Verdu plays Estela. She is a good actress that tends to go for roles that don't do much for her. Daniel Freire is a puzzle. He is an Argentine actor based in Spain, plays the police commissioner Petrie. Chete Lera doesn't have much to do with his forensic doctor. Abel Ayala and Juan Cianco, that appear as Cayetano and Mateo, have some good moments.

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• In Spanish, M is pronounced "eh-meh"

  t_atzmueller2011-09-08

  The film is loosely based on the times and crimes of Cayetano Santos Godino, nicknamed "big-eared midget", who killed numerous children in Buenos Aires in the 1920's. Because of his young age and bizarre appearance, the case remains in Argentinean folklore, similar to Jack the Ripper in England or Jesse Pomeroy in Massachusetts, albeit rather unknown outside South-America. The camera work is often beautiful and the acting ranges from fair to good, whereby the kid actors often convince more than the adults (which might stem from the form of Hispanic soap-opera acting that the Western audience is often not familiar with). However, all the films weaknesses (strange, often uneven pace and the vain attempt to make the film look grander than it actually is) stem from the director, Jorge Algora, or rather his inexperience. We can almost feel the stress to prove himself and his work, the effort not to make any cinematographic mistakes, to be up there with the great directors. A more relaxed approach would have benefited. In fact, it might have benefited with the director had watched Ulli Lommels "Tenderness of the Wolves" rather than studying Fritz Langs "M" to a tit. Young directors often feel compelled to pay tribute, even emulate their idols. The problem with those 'tributes': they are often painfully obvious. Was there really a need to have the killer whistle Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King"? Wouldn't the screaming newspaper sale boys been sufficient to show that Algora is a great admirer of Fritz Lang? There are further hints at Volker Schlöndorff, Alfred Hitchcock even M.Night Shamalayans (Algora merges the basic psychic-storyline of the"Sixth Sense" with the real murders committed by Godino). All this may flatter the director but it certainly doesn't flatter his film. A professor at a film-school once said "music is cheating". Nowhere is that more true than in this case. The soundtrack is incessant, constantly 'reminding' us of the atmosphere we're supposed to conceive. At one point you just want it to stop! We wish for a sombre moment, perhaps a tranquil scene which allows us to reflect on what we're seeing – unfortunately, this moment never comes, the soundtrack keeps booming on as if wanting to outdo Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula". Still, I could not call this a bad movie, only a little overambitious. I'd give it a solid 6.5 out of 10.

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