Some months ago, I watched this film in the theatre over here with my sister. I do not think the movie got a release in the U.S, but DVDs of it are surely available somewhere over there.

I was hesitant to watch the film at first because it starred Callista Flockhart--an actress that I don't hate, but don't quite like, either. Plus, I thought her face was way too notceable to make a good Horror lead. So I went into the movie expecting a dull, trashy horror flick, and what did I get?

What I got was a well-told, almost masterfully-done ghost story. This is a nice little ghost movie that is sure to please fans of the genre.

Fragiles was rated PG-13 in the U.S but MUST have been mis-rated, because there are several f-bombs, some gore (not much though, it is sparingly-used, but amazingly done), and some very brief nudity in it.

The movie has an eerie, bleak atmosphere throughout, but still moves at a more than adequate pace to keep fans of the more fast-paced kind of Horror interested. Not overly fast or slow--the pacing is just right.

The film score by Roque Banos is pure brilliance. I don't see how it could've been done any better. It was so good that I actually purchsed the orchestral soundtrack. I had never done such a thing before.

The plot revolves around Amy (Flockhart)--an American nurse hired as a replacement in the old Mercy Falls children's hospital in Wight Island.  The hospital is in the process of closing and is transferring patients to another hospital, but a train crash postpones the plans. And so, only eight sickly children and key staff members remain in the hospital, including Amy. The small staff group is to take care of the children until they are transferred.

Amy develops a cute and shockingly realistic big sister/little sister relationship with Maggie, one of the eight remaining children. Amy tells her of a "mechanical girl" called Charlotte living in the hospital's long-abandoned second floor, claiming she speaks to her via letter-block toys. Despite Charlotte's existence being denied by her co-workers, Amy soon realizes that this mysterious girl will not allow the children to leave the hospital, and Amy needs to find a way to stop her from hurting them at all costs...

This Charlotte--this opposing entity is menacing, frightening--you can feel how hostile it is. Director Jaume Balagueró did a great job with this movie. It is excellent from start to finish from the cinematography to the acting and editing. The script, co-written by Jordi Galcerán, wasn't half-bad, either.

If you are a fan of movies like "The Orphanage" and "The Others", this movie is sure to be your cup of tea, although it is a bit more aggressive than those other two. The performances from every actor here, including Flockhart, range from good to excellent, children included. In fact, little Yasmin Murphy (Maggie) has one of the best performances in the film. The movie also features Collin McFarlane (The Dark Knight) and there is also a cameo appereance by Ivana Baquero (Pan's Labrynth).  

If you like ghost movies, you will not regret it if you manage to get a hold of this little gem.

9/10 (on a Horror movie-specific scale)
7/10 (on a general scale)

--Julio