Beginner’s luck for Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

“When I was nine I was involved in an air crash as a witness,” says first-time director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, via an interpreter. “I was in the family car and I saw a jumbo jet. Then I saw the ambulances going to the airport and my mother's car broke down. I got out of the car and saw the ambulances swarming around the plane. It was really scary.” And thus a film was born, albeit 27 years later.

Fresnadillo’s debut feature has already been bought by Disney, for a remake. And you can see why. Intacto is the classiest thriller to hit our screens in ages. Max Von Sydow (Minority Report, The Exorcist) plays Sam, who, having made it through the Holocaust, is now riddled with survivor guilt and holed up in a desert casino.

“When you’re the only survivor of a disaster, you feel responsible,” says Fresnadillo. “And I realised that the only thing that would redeem those feelings was love. If you're honest and listen to your heart, luck will always be with you.”

Although luck can be a curse as well as a gift. Von Sydow’s legendary status as the “luckiest man in the world” means he’s doomed to endless rounds of Russian roulette against a long line of pretenders to his crown. Naturally, they all leave as lizard food. Cue Tomas, sole survivor of a plane crash and protégée of the embittered Federico, who can rob people of their luck.

“Intacto may remind you of a dream,” says Fresnadillo, probably referring to the occasional aloofness of the plot. “What I wanted was to create a world where you're really involved, but you don't really understand anything.” And that’s something we can all relate to. Jonathan Carter 11 April 03

Intacto, on selected release 11 April 03.

empire online:
...you’ll need to pay attention, but it’s worth it...
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film four:
...a highly accomplished film, intriguing, imaginative and visually impressive...
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useful link: www.intactothemovie.com