Review: Shrew’s Nest

Seamstress Montse (Macarena Gomez) is an agoraphobic so badly afflicted that a neighbour supplies her morphine on the hush-hush, to calm her down. Montse has been left to raise pretty younger sister Hermana (Nadia De Santiago) all on her own for most of Hermana’s life, as their parents are long gone (Mum died giving birth to Hermana, dad apparently went off to war sometime later and never came back). Hermana has just turned 18, and the very conservative (and seriously jealous) Montse is having a hard time dealing with the fact that her sister is now becoming a woman, and particularly that men are starting to take notice of her. This rather claustrophobic situation is further intensified when a drunk upstairs neighbour (Hugo Silva) takes a tipsy stumble down the stairs and lands at the sisters’ doorstep. Montse is hesitant, but takes the handsome man in and nurses him back to health (he is unconscious and has a broken leg), but is careful not to divulge that she has a younger, hotter sister living with her. When he insists on going to a hospital, Montse comes up with some lame excuse to keep him in her care (because she’s clearly bordering on Kathy Bates in “Misery”). However, Hermana and the neighbour have briefly met before, and it’s not long before Hermana finds out about his presence in their apartment, and he tries to get her to help him. Just wait until Montse finds out about that, pretty sure it’s not going to sit well with her.

 

Although not badly acted, this 2014 Spanish psychological thriller from debutants Juanafer Andres and writer/co-director Esteban Roel isn’t all that much of a movie. Macarena Gomez has improved significantly as an actress since the first and last time I saw her in Stuart Gordon’s weird but useless “Dagon” from 2001. She’s easily the best thing here, though all of the performances are fine and the film is also well-shot. It’s just not much of a movie, and what there is of it, has already been done to death (and usually a lot better). Although attractively shot, I also think it’s a mistake not to have made the apartment look more cramped, it kind of ruins the claustrophobic feel the filmmakers seem to want to project in regards to the familial relationship at the centre of the film.

 

There’s some nice grisly moments in the second half, but the whole thing is obvious from the start, and although they actually are years apart in age, actress Nadia De Santiago looks much older than she (and her character) is, making things play rather awkwardly. Even though she really is only 24, she just doesn’t look young enough for Gomez to feel old and ugly in comparison. Either that, or Gomez (who is actually a very fine 37) is simply too beautiful and youthful-looking for her part. I just wasn’t convinced, especially when that final twist was delivered. I also have to say that Nadia De Santiago isn’t particularly sympathetic as the younger sister (she’s a bit cold), nor is the uninteresting Silva, which is a bit of an issue. Obviously Gomez isn’t meant to be terribly sympathetic, so it’s on the other two main characters to entice our interest and sympathy, and they just didn’t earn it from me. I think it’s more the characters than the actors, however, as Silva in particular is fine. We just don’t know much about his character except he’s a hopeless drunk.

 

Somewhat well-made, but with a plot as old as the hills and a far too short running time, there’s just not much chance for depth nor is there any originality. More of a sense of claustrophobia, or more emphasis on psychosexual aspects, and this might’ve been better (the latter is merely hinted at). As is, it’s a bit ‘meh’ and another film where the backstory feels like it would’ve made for a far more interesting film. 

 

Rating: C