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

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

Intriguing Premise, Disappointing Resolution

After resolving a test with a sequence of numbers, four mathematicians are challenged by a mysterious man called Fermat (Federico Luppi) to meet in an isolated place to resolve the greatest enigma ever. Each one receives a code name - Hilbert (Lluís Homar), Pascal (Santi Millán ), Galois (Alejo Sauras) and Oliva (Elena Ballesteros) - and heads to a barn in an island. Inside the barn, they find a comfortable room, and sooner their host arrives. They have dinner together and Fermat receives a phone call from the hospital where his daughter in interned in coma. He asks to leave the place for one hour; however, after his departure, the quartet finds that they are locked up in the room. They receive a phone call with a mathematical riddle, giving one minute to their reply; sooner they find that if they do not answer to the questions, the walls move and room shrinks pressed by four Poseidon hydraulic presses. While responding the questions, they try to find the motives why they have been gathered together to be killed.

"La Habitación de Fermat" is another variation of "Cube", with an intriguing premise and a disappointing resolution. The beginning is original, and the suspenseful story works very well until the moment that the identity and motives of the insane murdered are disclosed. Then the plot turns to ridiculous, too complicated for an issue between two men. Would be necessary such expensive and complicated scheme to eliminate a competitor? Further, the fate of Fermat and the policeman is silly and the black humor of the joke with the security belt does not work. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available