Trece campanadas (2002)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Xavier Villaverde

Writers:

Juan Vicente Pozuelo (writer)
Curro Royo (writer)

Release Date:

17 January 2003 (Spain)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

Jacobo is a young sculptor that returns to native city, Santiago of Compostela, to see his mother, locked...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Juan Diego Botto	...	Jacobo
Marta Etura	...	María
Luis Tosar	...	Mateo
Elvira Mínguez	...	Carmen
Rosa Álvarez	...	Aura
Laura Mañá	...	Claudia
David Álvarez	...	Young Jacobo
Diogo Infante	...	Raúl
Gonzalo Uriarte	...	Priest
Ernesto Chao	...	Inspector
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mayka Braña
Arantxa Villar	...	Figurante

Also Known As:

Thirteen Chimes (Europe: English title) (literal title) (International: English title)
13 Curses (USA) (DVD title)
13 campanadas (Spain) (alternative spelling)
Trece badaladas (Spain: Galician title)
When the Bell Chimed 13 (International: English title)

Runtime:

Spain:108 min | Argentina:108 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | USA:NC-17 | South Korea:18 | Germany:16 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Company:

Antena 3 Televisión

Movie Connections:

References Vertigo (1958)

Underrated Psychological Supernatural Thriller

In 1984, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the boy Jacobo witnesses his mother killing his father, the artist Mateo (Luis Tosar), with a shotgun when the local cathedral sounded thirteen tolls. Eighteen years later, the also artist Jacobo (Juan Diego Botto) returns to his hometown from Buenos Aires answering the call of his childhood friend Maria (Marta Etura) to visit his schizophrenic mother that has been sentenced to a psychiatric hospital for killing her husband. Jacobo believed his mother had died years ago, and he is under medication due to frequent clangs of bell that he hears. Jacobo is advised by his mother to leave the town, and sooner he is haunted by Mateo that wants him to finish his work for the local cathedral.

"Trece Campanadas" is an underrated psychological / supernatural thriller. The story is well constructed and resolved in spite of I have partially guessed the mystery in the middle of the movie; therefore, the director Xavier Villaverde and the writers have successfully accomplished their objective of making a good movie. The unknown (at least for me) Juan Diego Botto and Marta Etura have great performances and show a perfect chemistry and Luis Tosar gives another efficient work. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "13 Badaladas" ("13 Tolls")