Watch Fragile For Free

Too much of everything

Absolutely Fantastic

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

My brother and I were pleased to find a horror movie that we still hadn't seen yet - but the excitement was sadly wasted. 'Fragile' was an okay way to spend 1 hour and 41 minutes, but nothing more. I didn't find this movie particularly scary, and both the plot and the writing was very 'thin'.The acting was okay, but the movie was so poorly written that it was hard to focus on the plot or the characters and their (barely existing) relationships. Some "continuity-errors" made the experience more confusing, as I am left with quite a few unanswered questions. This movie is quite the cliché, and nothing I haven't seen before.

If there's one thing I really believe in, it's that all actors should have at least one or two horror movies in their resume. I loved Nicole Kidman in "The Others," and Christina Ricci in "Cursed," so when I heard Calista Flockhart had starred in a haunted house movie called "Fragile," I had to get this movie. She plays an American nurse studying in London who is called down to help close Mercy Falls Hospital on the Isle of Wight and move the young patients to a new hospital. Her character is played with a back story we never really learn anything about, but then we really don't need to learn anything because once the movie starts moving forward, it runs forward so efficiently that it never once bogs down with exposition. The hospital Calista arrives at is old, outdated and falling apart, much like most stereotypical haunted sites, but she soon learns she is replacing a nurse who was scared so badly that she quit. In the children's ward, she meets a distant young girl named Maggie (Yasmin Murphy) who gradually fills her in on the strange stories of the hospital. Actor Richard Roxburgh goes against playing a psychotic character for once, portraying the night physician, Dr. Richard Carey, one of the hospital staff members sympathetic to the plight of the kids, and slowly delving into the location's past for the identity of the spirit. The kids are terrified by a presence they call Charlotte who is breaking their bones at night to keep them from leaving and is getting more dangerous as things keep progressing. Director Jaume Balaguero does an excellent job setting up the atmosphere and scares slowly at first and building up to a pitch where Calista's character goes from suspicious to curious and gradually terrified as she realizes the children are in danger, rescuing Maggie from the top floor as the hospital seems to crumble around them. It's everything a good haunted house movie should be; thick with atmosphere and light on the special effects with the highlights on the character performances rather than on the ghosts. Unfortunately, there is nothing here to appeal to the gore hounds that prefer blood and violence. "Fragile" is an intense intellectual ghost story with atmosphere, a strong cast and a top-notch plot that moves along briskly, and that is actually the best thing about it.

It's nice to stumble on a decent, under the radar horror movie now and again. Fragile isn't amazing, but it did surprise me with how watchable and well-made it is. Calista Flockhart stars as a nurse recently arrived at Mercy Falls Hospital, which is almost 100 years old and full of history. The hospital is about to be closed, though, and as the inhabitants of the children's ward are leaving unexplainable, malevolent events are beginning to occur. One of the children speaks of seeing a "mechanical girl", and the mystery of that ghostly apparition may be the key to it all. Fragile is more creepy than frightening, but it kept my interest throughout. There's a bit of a mystery woven within it that matches well with the atmosphere the movie cultivates, and even a bit of a twist to keep things from being entirely predictable. There's some occasional over-acting from the numerous child actors (which is understandable), as well as some from Flockhart and Elena Anaya (which is less so), but that's all I can really complain about. I liked Fragile. It takes the time to establish mood and characters while managing to never teeter into boredom. If you're in the mood for a solid ghost story, you could do much, much worse.

FRAGILE (Fràgiles) is a terrific dark scary creepy atmospheric intelligent ghost story. Made in 2005 and released as an episode film in the Fangoria Frightfest, this decent film was overlooked in the theaters but deserves more attention now that it is available on DVD - allowing it to be viewed in the safety of the home! The story is written by Jordi Galceran and writer/director Jaume Balagueró who demonstrate a rather sophisticated knowledge of a little known malady called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic disorder that makes the bones very brittle and easily (and frequently) broken. The story begins on a foggy dark night as temp nurse Amy Nicholls (Calista Flockhart) steps off the ferry onto an island to fill in for a children's hospital that has been condemned but must keep one floor open until the island's other hospital recovers form over crowding following a significant accident. She is met by the kindly Roy (Colin McFarlane) who escorts her to the dilapidated hospital where the administrator Mrs. Folder (Gemma Jones) takes her on a tour, explaining that the second floor is sealed and has been for some years, and introduces her to the day nurse Helen Perez (Elena Anaya) who in turn introduces Amy to the eight children, all with significant illnesses, who will be under her care. There is one child - Maggie (Yasmin Murphy) who keeps to herself and is obviously terrified, her closest friend had been the nurse Amy is replacing. Amy and Maggie bond and this bond serves as the thread that opens the doors to the terrifying mysteries of the hospital. Noises are heard after lights out and Amy gradually learns form Maggie about the 'mechanical girl' who somehow influences the activities of the hospital. There is a doctor assigned to Amy's ward - Dr. Robert Marcus (Richard Roxburgh) - who assists Amy and the children. But Amy must find out if the fears Maggie has are founded and so she visits two old ladies (Freda Dowie and Matyelek Gibbs) who inform Amy of the story of one child and nurse who could be the connection tot he terror: the child had osteogenesis imperfecta and her ghost remains present in the hospital. Once Amy discovers this information she shares it with Dr. Marcus and the two face the decision as to how to manage the increasingly terrifying events at the hospital. Calista Lockhart, the fine Australian actor Richard Roxburgh, the always excellent Gema Jones, and the surprising debut of young Yasmin Murphy make this film work. Their performances are top notch, and the cinematography by Xavi Giménez and the musical score by Roque Baños maintain an atmosphere of terror that is credible and keeps the audience on the edge of the seat. Give this little film a chance- it is much better than the other films in this series! Grady Harp