David Norton is used to being in control. As a best-selling author, he decides the fate of his characters; his heroes, his villains, their lives and deaths. But what happens when his fictional world becomes all too real?... more » When David arrives in an idyllic Mediterranean island for a conference, his fiancee receives a strange call and jumps to her death from their hotel balcony. As he begins piecing answers together, people start inexplicably committing suicide all around him. Now David has become the reluctant hero of his own living story, and this time he has no idea how it will end. Starring Timothy Hutton (The Good Shepherd, Sunshine State, Secret Window), Lucia Jimenez and David Kelly« less
Ted C. (quark51) from CORTLAND, NY Reviewed on 11/23/2009...
Interesting movie.
0 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Sunday, Gloomy Sunday
Amanda Richards | Georgetown, Guyana | 05/28/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Timothy Hutton plays David Norton, a successful sci-fi writer who is invited to speak at a conference in Majorca. While enjoying the amenities he takes the opportunity to propose to his girlfriend, but their celebratory evening is cut short after Norton finds a DVD on the bed, which is found to contain some disturbing material. While he ponders the strange gift, she receives a mysterious call on her cell phone and decides that she
"Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump." *
Simultaneously, Silvia (Lucia Jimenez) awakens after an evening of carousing with a friendly disc jockey, and while she is in the shower she is interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone, the caller ID reading "Gloomy Sunday". The next thing she knows, she's thinking
"Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump." *
She awakens in hospital, and learns that she has jumped off the balcony in an apparent suicide attempt, foiled by the fortunate placement of a canvas awning, more suited to catching the rays of the sun than falling nudes.
At the hospital she sees the grief-stricken David, and realizes that something is terribly wrong on the island. Sure enough, a rash of unexplained suicides erupts, and after she is attacked by a hypodermic wielding man, the two join forces to solve the mystery. The trail leads them to Frank Kovak, a scientist given to creative experimentation, and subsequently to Norton becoming a leading character straight out one of his books.
After a slow start, this film picks up nicely, and although Timothy Hutton is an unlikely choice for a leading man in an action film, his co-star Jimenez more than makes up for his shortcomings. David Kelly does not quite master the "evil villain" role, but manages to personify an extremely sinister and creepy old coot with an almost visible aura of rottenness hanging in the air around him.
The movie draws largely from an urban legend about a depressing Hungarian song re-titled "Gloomy Sunday" (sung in the movie by Heather Nova, but also covered by Billie Holiday, Paul Robeson, Mel Tormé, Sinead O'Connor, Sarah McLachlan and others), said song being more than enough to make you think that you
"Might as well jump. jump !
Might as well jump.
Go ahead, jump. jump !
Go ahead, jump." *
The premise has been handled better in other movies, but once you get past the first part, you should enjoy this one.
Amanda Richards, May 27, 2007
*Note: The lyrics in this review are from "Jump" by Van Halen. This song is not featured in the movie, and has no link to the movie, but I exercised some artistic license, as the words to "Gloomy Sunday" are just too darned depressing.
"
A tight, interesting thriller.
R. Broz | San Diego, CA | 06/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Timothy Hutton plays a Science Fiction author who, although he has written many novels, is best known for his first book about a song that haunted him. The song returns with a vengeance in the film and it is up to him to find a way to stop it from killing others. This was a nice tight thriller with fine acting by Hutton and David Kelly who may be familiar from Charlie and the Chocolate factory or Waking Ned Devine. It kept me guessing until the end (which is fairly hard to do). The background of beautiful Mediterranian locations make this a great movie to help escape from the summer heat."
This box worth exploring into
David J. Carney | point pleasant,nj usa | 05/22/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was somewhat surprised with this one.David Norton is a writer who's story Gloomy Sunday is comming to life.His girlfriend tosses herself out of a window after answering her cell.David watches a DVD where a monkey bashes himself inside a glass container.To tell you everything in here would be a crime.Its a puzzler watching this one.The acting is very good and directing is also very good.I throughly enjoyed this one!"
A Taut Thriller That Keeps Circling the Viewer's Mind Throug
Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/10/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"THE KOVAK BOX is a successful little suspense/psychological thriller from the Spanish writers Daniel Monzón (who also directs) and Jorge Guerricaechevarría. The story may be a bit far fetched, but then what horror story isn't? The premise for the tale holds up well and is aided by some very fine performances by a mixture of Spanish, English, and American actors. The mood of the film is beautifully set during opening credits by a complex maze in which a white rat sniffs and ambulates from confusing corner to confusing wall - just the manner in which director Monzón plans to tell his story.
David Norton (Timothy Hutton) is a celebrated science fiction novelist visiting Majorca for a special conference accompanied by his soon to be fiancée Jane (Georgia Mackenzie). David has been having premonitions on his flight to the conference and those brooding thoughts continue as he registers for the conference and finds little disturbing clues that culminate in Jane's suicide leap from their hotel balcony. Almost simultaneously an attractive Spanish girl Silvia (Lucía Jiménez) in the same hotel 'jumps' from her balcony but is saved from death by falling onto an awning. Jane dies in the hospital: Silvia is in the bed next to Jane, witnesses David's grief, and the beginning of a bond is created.
David meets a strange old man Frank Kovak (David Kelly) who seeks an autograph of David's first novel 'Gloomy Sunday' and from there the mystery begins. David becomes the unknowing main character in a sci-fi story that mimics ideas from his own first book, a story about the implantation of devices in humans that would enable a central force to assist the victims in their own destructive ends. The plot is tightly woven from this point on and to reveal any portion of it would diminish the chair-gripping finale.
Timothy Hutton seems an odd choice for the main character of the film until his combination of cool intellect and understated passion clicks in. The film is graced by the presence of the talented Lucía Jiménez who seems to have the potential of becoming another Penelope Cruz! The cinematography by Carles Gusi and musical score by Roque Baños make the setting visually and aurally spectacular. For those who enjoy mind bender thrillers, THE KOVAK BOX will certainly please. Grady Harp, June 07
"
Outstanding movie!
Melissa H. Pollotta | Waukegan, IL United States | 04/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is an excellent film, with more twists and turns in the plot than a snake in a pretzel factory. Highly recommended!"