Saint Ange (2004)

User Rating:

4.7/10   

Director:

Pascal Laugier

Writer:

Pascal Laugier (writer)

Release Date:

23 June 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

You're staying here alone? Are you sure?

Plot:

In 1958, in the French Alp, the young servant Anna Jurin arrives in Saint Ange Orphanage to work with...

Plot Keywords:

Orphanage | Mirror | Shower Room | Tap | Foetus

Cast

Virginie Ledoyen	...	Anna Jurin
Lou Doillon	...	Judith
Catriona MacColl	...	Francard
Dorina Lazar	...	Helenka
Virginie Darmon	...	Mathilde
Jérôme Soufflet	...	Daniel
Marie Herry	...	Marie
Eric Prat	...	Le responsable des services sociaux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marin Chouquet	...	Alex

Also Known As:

House of Voices (International: English title) (USA) (DVD title)
Sanatorium (France) (working title)
St. Ange (Philippines: English title) (poster title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some nudity and disturbing images.

Runtime:

France:98 min | Philippines:99 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Malaysia:18SG | Malaysia:U (cut) | UK:15 | USA:R | France:-12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (edited version) | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Castel Film Romania

Trivia:

In Mexico the film was released with the title "El Convento" ("The Convent") as the action happens in an orphanage. In fact, you can see only two nuns in the movie

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the scene where Anna breaks the glass in the bathroom and tries to get in, a man with a camera can be seen in the remaining mirror.

Soundtrack:

I'm in the mood for love

When bad movies happen to good people

The result is something that resembles "Saint Ange" which is indeed so dreadful that it makes me feel shame and embarrassment for Ms. Ledoyen, Ms. Doillon and the other actors in this disgusting film.

I must say, I watched it because I appreciated the work of the actress that played Anna. She usually makes smart choices in her movies, but she clearly made the worst decision of her career by doing this movie. A bloke who saw this DVD with me joked that Ms. Ledoyen must have been hypnotized, cursed or even hexed to agree to making this movie. I didn't find it very funny at first but given the unfavourable downturn her career has taken after she made this movie, I'm starting to think it might be true.

I appreciate movies like "The Others" or stories like Turn of the Screw which somebody else had mentioned, but trust me, "Saint Ange" is nowhere near their level or category, not even close. "Saint Ange" is a low budget movie that does not even deserve to be seen in a 2 a.m. Friday night frightfest on the telly, much less on DVD or in theatres. That said, the budget makes no matter, because I have seen movies made for even less money that are far better than this awful movie. The problem with "Saint Ange" lies with the director who clearly is in over his head and is not fit for the job at hand. He quite obviously lacks the skill and talent needed to make a real movie.

If you fancy seeing a rehash of every horror scene, every haunted house thriller trick, and demented and sick scenes of innocent children in unpleasant situations, then this would be a movie for you to see. Otherwise, if you are a person of any good taste, morals or decency and appreciate true cinema and good stories, I would advise you to skip this at your local rental store or shopping centre and see another movie instead.