When you have read the plot synopsis and you expect to see a psycho thriller of sorts you will be very disappointed. But if you are open for surprises and interested in the subject you will see an excellent movie.
The story centers around a bunch of kids and adolescents roaming the grounds of a protected neighborhood while their parents are on vacation. It plays with our expectations based on films of similar subjects and our prejudices about young people and the clashes between rich and poor.
Warning: Spoiler from here on!
During school term a group of children of well to do people living in a sheltered neighborhood with a large park and swimming pools are biding their time with swimming, bike riding, watching TV and playing video games. Many are related to each other, siblings and cousins mostly. Sometimes they climb into empty houses and fool around but without making a mess. Although they act bored and partly frustrated they are still well behaved. Maria, the eldest of the lot is in charge and she takes care that things don't get out of hand. She has a slight crush on her younger cousin, but maybe only out of boredom.
We watch them for quite some time without anything happening. Time passes every day and there is not much to do after the bus brings them back from school. The only grown-up in the household is a 23-year old maid who cooks and cleans up. Other than that we see almost no grown-up inhabitants, only the security guards who regularly check the grounds for break ins and they also have an eye on the children.
The parents call once a day but often only to say that they will stay longer than planned. Most of the kids seem to wait for their return. Then one-day the maid's younger brother comes to help her. Fernando is a poor but good looking chap, obviously impressed by the wealth he encounters and shy around the self-confident kids. The boys mostly ignore him, the girls are more curious but don't know what to talk with him. You can see that he feels neglected and that he has nothing in common with them. They embarrass him with little things. Maria is looking at him sometimes but can't make any move. Meanwhile her cousin gets frustrated when her interest in him suddenly fades.
I sat there and felt a lot of tension only because I expected any moment some violence breaking out on any side. But nothing of this is happening. The film does not invite you to expect anything dangerous, it was only in me. But I'm very sure that most people in the audience had the same feelings. According to movie rules there must be something terrible coming from this combination.
When you see a film like this you will find out how much negative thinking we carry around about young people, anything we read in the news or see in other films. But the reality is often much more quiet. Most of the damage happens to the soul of the involved. All we really see are poor rich kids in a golden cage. We can only hope that one day they will recognize the bars and decide to leave.
The story centers around a bunch of kids and adolescents roaming the grounds of a protected neighborhood while their parents are on vacation. It plays with our expectations based on films of similar subjects and our prejudices about young people and the clashes between rich and poor.
Warning: Spoiler from here on!
During school term a group of children of well to do people living in a sheltered neighborhood with a large park and swimming pools are biding their time with swimming, bike riding, watching TV and playing video games. Many are related to each other, siblings and cousins mostly. Sometimes they climb into empty houses and fool around but without making a mess. Although they act bored and partly frustrated they are still well behaved. Maria, the eldest of the lot is in charge and she takes care that things don't get out of hand. She has a slight crush on her younger cousin, but maybe only out of boredom.
We watch them for quite some time without anything happening. Time passes every day and there is not much to do after the bus brings them back from school. The only grown-up in the household is a 23-year old maid who cooks and cleans up. Other than that we see almost no grown-up inhabitants, only the security guards who regularly check the grounds for break ins and they also have an eye on the children.
The parents call once a day but often only to say that they will stay longer than planned. Most of the kids seem to wait for their return. Then one-day the maid's younger brother comes to help her. Fernando is a poor but good looking chap, obviously impressed by the wealth he encounters and shy around the self-confident kids. The boys mostly ignore him, the girls are more curious but don't know what to talk with him. You can see that he feels neglected and that he has nothing in common with them. They embarrass him with little things. Maria is looking at him sometimes but can't make any move. Meanwhile her cousin gets frustrated when her interest in him suddenly fades.
I sat there and felt a lot of tension only because I expected any moment some violence breaking out on any side. But nothing of this is happening. The film does not invite you to expect anything dangerous, it was only in me. But I'm very sure that most people in the audience had the same feelings. According to movie rules there must be something terrible coming from this combination.
When you see a film like this you will find out how much negative thinking we carry around about young people, anything we read in the news or see in other films. But the reality is often much more quiet. Most of the damage happens to the soul of the involved. All we really see are poor rich kids in a golden cage. We can only hope that one day they will recognize the bars and decide to leave.