Fragile (2005)

If there's one thing I really believe in, it's that all actors should have at least one or two horror movies in their resume. I loved Nicole Kidman in "The Others," and Christina Ricci in "Cursed," so when I heard Calista Flockhart had starred in a haunted house movie called "Fragile," I had to get this movie. She plays an American nurse studying in London who is called down to help close Mercy Falls Hospital on the Isle of Wight and move the young patients to a new hospital. Her character is played with a back story we never really learn anything about, but then we really don't need to learn anything because once the movie starts moving forward, it runs forward so efficiently that it never once bogs down with exposition. The hospital Calista arrives at is old, outdated and falling apart, much like most stereotypical haunted sites, but she soon learns she is replacing a nurse who was scared so badly that she quit. In the children's ward, she meets a distant young girl named Maggie (Yasmin Murphy) who gradually fills her in on the strange stories of the hospital. Actor Richard Roxburgh goes against playing a psychotic character for once, portraying the night physician, Dr. Richard Carey, one of the hospital staff members sympathetic to the plight of the kids, and slowly delving into the location's past for the identity of the spirit. The kids are terrified by a presence they call Charlotte who is breaking their bones at night to keep them from leaving and is getting more dangerous as things keep progressing. Director Jaume Balaguero does an excellent job setting up the atmosphere and scares slowly at first and building up to a pitch where Calista's character goes from suspicious to curious and gradually terrified as she realizes the children are in danger, rescuing Maggie from the top floor as the hospital seems to crumble around them. It's everything a good haunted house movie should be; thick with atmosphere and light on the special effects with the highlights on the character performances rather than on the ghosts. Unfortunately, there is nothing here to appeal to the gore hounds that prefer blood and violence. "Fragile" is an intense intellectual ghost story with atmosphere, a strong cast and a top-notch plot that moves along briskly, and that is actually the best thing about it.

Troubled American nurse Amy (a fine, credible, and affecting performance by Calista Flockhart) gets a job working the night shift at the crumbling Mercy Falls Children's Hospital in Britain. The place is being closed down. Amy discovers that there's a dangerous and possessive spirit known as Charlotte the mechanical girl (a genuinely creepy portrayal by Karmeta Cervera) on a disused floor who refuses to let the child patients leave the hospital. Director Jaume Balaguero, who also co-wrote the thoughtful script with Jordi Galceran, relates the compelling story at a deliberate pace, does an expert job of creating and sustaining an eerie and unsettling atmosphere of pure dread and unease, makes wisely judicious use of both excessive graphic gore and flashy special effects, and pulls out all the harrowing stops for the thrilling climax. Moreover, Balaguero brings a classy and subtle sensibility and sensitivity to the material that kicks the overall quality of the movie up a few extra notches. The excellent acting from the tip-top cast rates as another substantial asset: Flockhart brings a touching and appealing vulnerability to her sympathetic character, with sterling support from Richard Roxburgh as the skeptical Dr. Robert Marcus, Elena Anaya as stern nurse Helen Perez, Gemma Jones as hard-nosed head administrator Mrs. Folder, Colin McFarlane as amiable handyman Roy, and, most impressive of all, the adorable Yasmin Murphy as frightened and precocious little girl Maggie. Xavi Gimenez's shadowy cinematography gives the picture an appropriately gloomy look. Roque Banos' shivery score does the elegantly uncanny trick. A real sleeper.

This is another gem of a film that I discovered while channel-surfing. The plot is simple (albeit a Gothic cliché) - a beautiful nurse with a secret, a handsome doctor, an old and isolated building with a ghost.......The atmosphere is eerie and spooky; the musical score understated but effective. It is, in short, everything a ghost story should be. This film, "The Changeling," and "The Haunting of Julia" are the only three films that have done this correctly, in my opinion. Modern ghost stories tend to rely way too much on blood, gore, and the gratuitous sex scene (or two) for effect. "Fragile" demonstrates once again that these are completely unnecessary if you have a good story and decent actors.Calista Flockhart is quite good in this role, and the supporting cast is more than adequate. The atmosphere and setting seem to bring out both desperation and isolation, which are both key to this film. The ghost is truly frightening; the first glimpse gave the the creeps and will stay with me for a long time.I highly recommend this film.

FRAGILE (Fràgiles) is a terrific dark scary creepy atmospheric intelligent ghost story. Made in 2005 and released as an episode film in the Fangoria Frightfest, this decent film was overlooked in the theaters but deserves more attention now that it is available on DVD - allowing it to be viewed in the safety of the home! The story is written by Jordi Galceran and writer/director Jaume Balagueró who demonstrate a rather sophisticated knowledge of a little known malady called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic disorder that makes the bones very brittle and easily (and frequently) broken. The story begins on a foggy dark night as temp nurse Amy Nicholls (Calista Flockhart) steps off the ferry onto an island to fill in for a children's hospital that has been condemned but must keep one floor open until the island's other hospital recovers form over crowding following a significant accident. She is met by the kindly Roy (Colin McFarlane) who escorts her to the dilapidated hospital where the administrator Mrs. Folder (Gemma Jones) takes her on a tour, explaining that the second floor is sealed and has been for some years, and introduces her to the day nurse Helen Perez (Elena Anaya) who in turn introduces Amy to the eight children, all with significant illnesses, who will be under her care. There is one child - Maggie (Yasmin Murphy) who keeps to herself and is obviously terrified, her closest friend had been the nurse Amy is replacing. Amy and Maggie bond and this bond serves as the thread that opens the doors to the terrifying mysteries of the hospital. Noises are heard after lights out and Amy gradually learns form Maggie about the 'mechanical girl' who somehow influences the activities of the hospital. There is a doctor assigned to Amy's ward - Dr. Robert Marcus (Richard Roxburgh) - who assists Amy and the children. But Amy must find out if the fears Maggie has are founded and so she visits two old ladies (Freda Dowie and Matyelek Gibbs) who inform Amy of the story of one child and nurse who could be the connection tot he terror: the child had osteogenesis imperfecta and her ghost remains present in the hospital. Once Amy discovers this information she shares it with Dr. Marcus and the two face the decision as to how to manage the increasingly terrifying events at the hospital. Calista Lockhart, the fine Australian actor Richard Roxburgh, the always excellent Gema Jones, and the surprising debut of young Yasmin Murphy make this film work. Their performances are top notch, and the cinematography by Xavi Giménez and the musical score by Roque Baños maintain an atmosphere of terror that is credible and keeps the audience on the edge of the seat. Give this little film a chance- it is much better than the other films in this series! Grady Harp