Vertige (2009) - film review

With a thirst for adventure, a group of friends decide to go on a rock climbing expedition in Croatia.  What begins as a carefree outing in the countryside soon turns into something darker as old feelings resurface and a fear of heights grips some members of the party.  Then they realise that they are not alone.  Their dream holiday is about to become a nightmare...

It is somewhat disappointing that, having earned his spurs with his short films, up-and-coming director Abel Ferry should choose as his first feature a genre as limiting and well-worn as the survival thriller.  Historically, French cinema has stayed shy of horror films of any kind but over the past decade several rookie French filmmakers have tried their hand at the familiar slasher format, in most cases achieving little more than a bland imitation of their American counterparts.  Abel Ferry is the latest director to participate in this worrying trend, and his first feature Vertige is a virtual rip-off of Rob Schmidt’s Wrong Turn (2003), a kind of Friday the 13th in the Croatian mountains.  Although the film is impressively directed and makes excellent use of its picturesque location, it does little if anything to extend the frontiers of a pretty tired genre.

The film begins promisingly enough by introducing a set of interesting characters who, whilst slightly caricatured, are convincingly played by some talented young actors.  The location is beautifully shot and serves as much more than a static backdrop - it actually becomes another character in the drama, cruel and forbidding.  Some highly inventive camerawork helps to build the tension and prepare us for what is to come.  Unfortunately, when the horror element enters the picture at around the mid-point the film ends up rolling down a predictable path, and the only satisfaction the spectator derives is guessing who will be the next victim to meet a grisly end at the hands of yet another crazed killer.  Vertige is sufficiently well-crafted to hold our attention and will doubtless be enjoyed by aficionados of the slasher movie genre.  Unfortunately, it offers few surprises and makes tedious viewing if you have already subjected yourself to other films of this ilk.  Abel Ferry does a respectable job but this is really a wasted opportunity for a director of such evident talent.

© James Travers 2010

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