FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: The Backwoods [DVD] [2006]

The Backwoods [DVD] [2006]
enlarge	Director: Koldo Serra Actors: Gary Oldman, Paddy Considine, Virginie Ledoyen, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon Studio: Momentum Pictures Category: DVD List Price: ~~£15.99~~ Buy New: £1.40 as of 24/11/2009 23:34 GMT details You Save: £14.59 (91%) New (26) Used (11) from £1.40 Seller: gzoop Rating: 17 reviews Sales Rank: 33759 Format: PAL Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over Region: 2 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 93 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5060116722413 ASIN: B0013VUSAM Theatrical Release Date: 2006 Release Date: May 19, 2008 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 1 2 3 4 Next » Above average film. March 25, 2008 Blue hunter (England) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful I am a big fan of Gary Oldman and that is what interested me about this film.He is the best thing in this film but there was just something missing from the film.I don't really know what is was but I felt that maybe there could have been more.The story started off well enough but by the end I was left wondering what some parts were about. br /The overall idea was good but I would have to compare this as a Strawdogs type of film and it wasn't as good as that. br /Gary Oldman is very good in the film and as a fan of his it was worth watching for him,and the other actor's were generally ok. br /Would I recommend this film,probably but just don't expect any ground breaking story or acting. Like Severance mixed with Deliverance March 28, 2008 Mr. Terence Jones (Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful The Argentinian release of this movie has it running at 152 minutes which would have been way too long. As it is the DVD i was sent through the Vine program came in at around 90 mins. I'm not sure if IMDB made a mistake with the times but i felt 90 mins was just about right as i hate to think that the other hour would have been filler. br / br /It's set in Spain in 1976 and stars (for the most part) 2 couples - Gary Oldman and his wife Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Paddy Considin (Hot Fuzz, The Bourne Ultimatum) and his wife Virginie Ledoyen (The love interest of Di Caprio in The Beach). br / br /The description adequately describes the movie so i won't go into detail. br /Think of this as a mix between Deliverance, Severance Wrong Turn and you won't go far wrong. It is a decent film with good acting, however it's the head of the household that have the locked up girl - Lluis Homar who steals the show (all his dialogue is in Spanish) with his acting done primarily with his expressions and his eyes ala Jack Nicholson. br / br /It's not as gritty as Deliverance and doesn't set out to be comic like Severance, I don't think it's quite as good as either of those films, but it is decent. If you can buy it cheap enough it might be worth a punt at about £5. Muted survivalist thriller March 23, 2008 Libretio 1 out of 1 found this review helpful THE BACKWOODS br /[Bosque de Sombras] br / br /(Spain/UK/France - 2006) br / br /Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision) br /Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Digital br / br /Koldo Serra's slow-burning thriller (a Spanish-British-French co-production) evokes the spirit of 1970's survivalist epics like STRAW DOGS (1971) and DELIVERANCE (1972), going so far as to set the action in 1978, not only to consolidate the screenplay's ignoble heritage, but to further isolate its hapless protagonists by stripping them of 21st century lifelines such as Internet access and mobile phones. Hoping to resolve their marital difficulties, two couples (Gary Oldman and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Paddy Considine and Virginie Ledoyen) hire a cottage in the Spanish backwoods where they stumble across a little girl (Yaiza Esteve) who seems to have been held in captivity since birth. However, a group of local villagers are determined to retrieve the girl by any means necessary, leading to a violent stand-off... br / br /Though rooted in exploitation, Serra's film has pretensions to something more than mere spectacle, positing alpha male Oldman as the headstrong bully whose reckless behaviour causes so much of the subsequent bloodshed, while passive Considine simmers manfully as his marriage to young sexpot Ledoyen crumbles to dust in the midst of violence and tragedy. Sánchez-Gijón makes up the isolated foursome as Oldman's beleaguered wife, though Serra's script (co-written with Jon Sagalá) downplays the women's role in proceedings, marking time until Considine is forced by circumstances beyond his control to unleash the prowling beast that lurks within his troubled psyche. Veteran actor Lluis Homar (looking for all the world like Stanley Baker in his heyday!) is a model of restraint as the film's principal 'bad guy', a village elder compromised by his henchmen's worst excesses, and there's good work from a mainly Spanish supporting cast. Unfortunately, Esteve's captivity isn't adequately explained, which renders proceedings somewhat ineffectual. br / br /Technical values are classy, highlighted by Unax Mendía's sumptuous anamorphic cinematography (none of this fake Super 35 rubbish), and there's a terrific storm-lashed climax, during which the forces of Good and Evil are resolved during a final showdown, beautifully staged by Serra and his crew. Overall, the film may be a little too muted for anyone seeking OTT thrills, but it's redeemed by striking visuals and a strong, committed cast. br / The backwoods is way out there March 26, 2008 Great White (Leicester, England) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful I was pleased to see that Gary Oldman had done a new movie and naturally i wanted to see it. The backwoods put Oldman with the great Paddy Considine as buddies going on a little vacation with their wives to a spanish villa that Oldman's character Paul has recently aquired. His mate Norman (Considine) and he stop off from their drive and visit the local bar and this is where things take a sinsiter turn. The movie then ventures into Straw Dogs type territory as the danger become clear on what is about to happen later. On one of their hunting trips Paul and Norman come across a very scuffy looking little girl and Paul being the good samartian thinks it would be best to take her to the police. That's where they make the mistake... The backwoods could have been a really good movie but the actors are wasted in this story. By the end you are wondering to yourself "what the hell is going on?" The ending is very abrupt and none of the questions that the film poses are answer like why was the little girl tied up when Paul found her? are resolved. The violence could have been more gritty and shocking but it wasn't shocking at all. There is a scene in this that i think they have done to rival Straw Dogs but again it's not believable and looks faked. The backwoods could have been so much better and it a shame that it was just left like this, half finished and unbelievable. Average April 1, 2008 Bezerus Bezby (Leeds, UK) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful I admit to having never heard of this film. I suspect it must have been released straight onto dvd, not having fared well with the critics. Anyone know any different? I would be interested to know. br / br /Gary Oldman, as ever, acts excellently. The mystery and intrigue of who exactly the girl in the barn is and why the villiagers want her kept chained is executed well, but overall, the film was decidedly average, if not a little weird. br / br /I would give it three stars for effort, but I certainly wouldn't watch it again. Better to rent then buy. Showing reviews 1-5 of 17 1 2 3 4 Next »

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