La habitación de Fermat (2007)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Directors:

Luis Piedrahita
Rodrigo Sopeña

Writers:

Luis Piedrahita (written by)
Rodrigo Sopeña (written by)

Release Date:

16 November 2007 (Spain)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Think inside the box

Plot:

Four mathematicians who do not know each other are invited by a mysterious host on the pretext of resolving a great enigma...

Plot Keywords:

Mathematician | Shrinking Room | Shrinking | Villain | Suspense

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Lluís Homar	...	Hilbert
Alejo Sauras	...	Galois
Elena Ballesteros	...	Oliva
Santi Millán	...	Pascal
Federico Luppi	...	Fermat
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Núria Badia	...	Recepcionist
Víctor Benjumea	...	Gas Station Attendant
Ariadna Cabrol	...	Girl
Helena Carrión	...	Library assistant
Cesc Cornet	...	Boy
Juanma Falcón	...	Boy
Alicia Fernández	...	Girl
David Fernández	...	Policeman
Josep Minguell	...	Doctor
Adam Nached	...	Boy
Mariola Ruiz	...	Nurse
San Yélamos	...	Girl

Directed by
Luis Piedrahita
Rodrigo Sopeña

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Luis Piedrahita		written by
Rodrigo Sopeña		written by

Produced by
César Benítez	....	producer
Adolfo Blanco	....	producer
José María Irisarri	....	executive producer
José María Irisarri	....	producer
Manuel Monzón Fueyo	....	co-executive producer
Manuel Monzón	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Federico Jusid

Cinematography by
Miguel Ángel Amoedo

Film Editing by
Jorge Macaya

Casting by
Laura Cepeda

Art Direction by
David Fernández

Costume Design by
Santos Sánchez

Makeup Department
Eva Fontenla	....	makeup artist
Paula Sánchez	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Teresa Enrich	....	production manager
Mariano Liwski	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anna Aran	....	second assistant director
Carles Valero	....	first assistant director
Àlex Vilà	....	first assistant director: second unit

Sound Department
David Calleja	....	sound re-recording mixer
Licio Marcos de Oliveira	....	sound
Filippo Restelli	....	boom operator
Oriol Tarragó	....	sound designer
Giannie Tognarelli	....	boom operator
Edgar Vidal	....	foley designer
Kiku Vidal	....	foley artist

Visual Effects by
Gloria Bernabeu	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Antonio Higueruelo	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Tadzio Salgado	....	first assistant camera

Editorial Department
José Pedraza	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Juan Pablo Gonzalez Saccone	....	music mixer (as PJ Saccone)

Other crew
Anna Vilà	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Javier Canteli	....	the directors wish to thank
Borja Echevarria	....	the directors wish to thank
Juan Herrera	....	the directors wish to thank
Inés	....	the directors wish to thank
Luis Lázaro	....	the directors wish to thank
Pablo Motos	....	the directors wish to thank
Emilio A. Pina	....	the directors wish to thank
Ledicia Sola	....	the directors wish to thank
Alicia Torres	....	the directors wish to thank
Carmen Utrilla	....	the directors wish to thank

Production Companies

• Notro Films
• Bocaboca Producciones

Distributors

• Brunbro Entertainment Group (2008) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• A Plus Films (2007) (Turkey) (all media)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• IFC (2008) (USA) (all media)
• Revolver Entertainment (2008) (UK) (all media)
• Shochiku Company (2008) (Japan) (all media)

Also Known As:

Fermat's Room (International: English title)
L'habitació de Fermat (Spain: Catalan title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:9

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Notro Films

Quotes:

Doctor: You can't go on like this. You have to get out. I'm speaking as a doctor, not as a friend.
Hilbert: You tell me three times a day. Three! I'm speaking as a mathematician, not as a friend.

Movie Connections:

References Labyrinth (1986)

Soundtrack:

Preludio en Si menor BWV 855

Nice, that's all...

"Fermat's room" ("La habitación de Fermat") is a Spanish thriller, in the spirit of some recent American blockbusters, where maths are supposed to play an important role. But do not expect anything close to "Numbers" in terms of scientific depth. Maths here are only an anecdote.

In fact, this movie is for everyone but mathematicians, who will probably find that the challenges the characters have to face are too trivial and the alleged screw turns of the plot are quite predictable.

The script and the direction are basically OK, but the acting is quite irregular. While Lluís Homar and Santi Millán (especially Santi Millán, who clearly steals the show) are rather convincing and solid, I do not buy Alejo Sauras and Elena Ballesteros as young math geniuses. Maybe it is not all their fault, as their characters are arguably more stereotypical than the other two.

In the end, an entertaining popcorn movie for a rainy fall evening... as long as you do not know enough maths.