Baby (2020 film)

Baby
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJuanma Bajo Ulloa
Produced byJuanma Bajo Ulloa
Starring
CinematographyJosep M. Civit
Edited byDemetrio Elorz
Music by
  • Koldo Uriarte
  • Bingen Mendizabal
Production
companies
  • Frágil Zinema
  • La Charito Films
Distributed byFestival Films
Release dates
  • 10 October 2020 (2020-10-10) (Sitges)
  • 18 December 2020 (2020-12-18) (Spain)
CountrySpain

Baby is a 2020 Spanish psychological thriller film with gothic tale themes directed by Juanma Bajo Ulloa. It features no lines of spoken dialogue. It stars Rosie Day, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Natalia Tena.

Plot

A drug-addicted woman sells her baby and then tries to get them back.

Cast

Production

Baby is a Frágil Zinema and La Charito Films production.[2] It had support from the Basque Government, Diputación Foral de Álava, Ayuntamiento de Vitoria-Gasteiz, and RTVE.[3] Filming began on 5 August 2020 and wrapped by mid September 2020.[3] Shooting locations included Vitoria-Gasteiz, Murgia, Legutio, Nanclares de Gamboa [es], the park of Garaio, the Otzarreta beech forest and the Nervión waterfall [es].[3]

Release

The film was presented at the 53rd Sitges Film Festival in October 2020.[4] It also screened at the Valladolid International Film Festival, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and the Cairo Film Festival.[5][6] Distributed by Festival Films,[7] it was theatrically released in Spain on 18 December 2020.

Reception

Wendy Ide of ScreenDaily deemed the film to be "a macabre psychological thriller which contains no spoken dialogue, but which delves into its cruelly capricious fantasy world through creative sound design, expressive performances from an all-female cast, and extensive use of fake cobwebs".[5]

Quim Casas of El Periódico de Catalunya rated the film 3 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "an unsatisfactory work, but not negligible. It is an impossible film, extreme and histrionic, but at the same time necessary".[8]

Daniel de Partearroyo of Cinemanía rated the film 5 out of 5 stars, deeming it to be "another piece of goldsmithing by Bajo Ulloa that leaves you speechless".[7]

Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas rated the film 65 out of 100 points ("acceptable"), assessing that it is "a very particular film, baroque and excessive", with both brilliant and uninspiring moments, also considering that the script is not well achieved and it sometimes is either confusing or bordering on the ridiculous.[9]

Fausto Fernández of Fotogramas rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, considering that it manages to "reinvent the codes of 1970s horror-genre films".[1]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2021 8th Feroz Awards Best Original Music Koldo Uriarte, Bingen Mendizábal Won [10]
35th Goya Awards Best Director Juanma Bajo Ulloa Nominated [11]
Best Original Score Bingen Mendizábal, Koldo Uriarte Nominated
13th Gaudí Awards Best Cinematography Josep M. Civit Nominated [12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Fernández, Fausto (17 December 2020). "Crítica de 'Baby'. Para fascinados por la hermosa perversidad de los cuentos de hadas infantiles". Fotogramas.
  2. ^ "'Baby' – estreno en cines 18 de diciembre". Audiovisual451. 14 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Juanma Bajo Ulloa estrena en Sitges su última película, 'Baby'". Noticias de Álava. 10 October 2020.
  4. ^ Calvo, Alejandro G. (11 October 2020). "Festival de Sitges: El fantástico español domina la jornada: 'Baby', 'Un efecto óptico' y 'No matarás'". Sensacine.
  5. ^ a b Ide, Wendy (28 November 2020). "Reviews: 'Baby': Tallinn Review". ScreenDaily.
  6. ^ "Juanma Bajo Ulloa: "Este país desprecia cada vez más la cultura"". rtve.es. 28 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b Partearroyo, Daniel de (17 December 2020). "Baby". Cinemanía – via 20minutos.es.
  8. ^ Casas, Quim (3 December 2020). "'Baby': Bajo Ulloa siempre a la contra". El Periódico de Catalunya.
  9. ^ Hernández Luján, Raquel (14 December 2020). "Crítica de Baby, la barroca película de Juanma Bajo-Ulloa sin diálogos". HobbyConsolas.
  10. ^ "Todos los ganadores de los Premios Feroz 2021". Diez Minutos. 2 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Baby". premiosgoya.com. Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  12. ^ Bertran Bonàs, Laia (15 March 2021). "Todos los nominados en la gala de los 'Premis Gaudí'". La Vanguardia.
  13. ^ Silvestre, Juan (22 March 2021). "Premios Gaudí 2021: todos los ganadores". Fotogramas.