The Kovak Box (2006)

Director:

Daniel Monzón

Writers:

Jorge Guerricaechevarría (writer)
Daniel Monzón (writer)

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (Spain)

Genre:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

You're trapped... and you don't even know it.

Plot:

A sci-fi writer (Hutton) is invited to an island for a conference, only to discover that he's become lured into a trap. |

Plot Keywords:

Boeing 727 | Motorcycle | Mad Hatter | Walking Cane | Virus

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Timothy Hutton	...	David Norton
Lucía Jiménez	...	Silvia Mendez
David Kelly	...	Frank Kovak
Georgia Mackenzie	...	Jane Graham (as Georgia MacKenzie)
Gary Piquer	...	Jaume
Annette Badland	...	Kathy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jorge Aguado de Gabriel	...	Man with card
Cristóbal Anaga	...	Door policeman
Christopher de Andrés	...	Paramedic
Ana Asensio	...	CNW Announcer
Nina Bagusat	...	Hostess
Keith Bartlett
Jorge Bosch
Nicholas Boulton	...	US Consulate Official
Luis Callejo	...	Caves Caretaker
Kwenya Carreira	...	Thomas
Helena Carrión	...	Actress
Félix Casales	...	Hospital policeman
Fede Celada	...	Paramedic
Leslie Charles	...	Villa Manageress
Vicente Colomar	...	Hotel receptionist
Félix Cubero	...	Lift Attendant
Lorena Garcia	...	Hostess
Tacho González	...	Fred
Jeff Harding
Alexander Herrmann	...	Flirting Party-Guest
Alberto Lopez	...	Tour operator
Albert López-Murtra
Molly Malcolm	...	Psychologist
Iván Morales	...	Charlie
Pepe Ocio	...	Hotel bellboy
Fiona Ormiston	...	Mary
May Pascual	...	Charlie neighbour
Pepe Pau
Lola Peno
Montse Pla	...	Final Air Hostess
Álvaro Roig	...	Hotel manager
Artur Sala	...	Tattooed Man (as Arturo Sala)
Colin Stinton
Dan Strauss	...	Doctor
Ben Temple	...	Roy
Tilly Vosburgh	...	Amy
Andres Ysbert	...	Taxi driver

Also Known As:

La caja Kovak (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violent and disturbing content, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

USA:102 min (DVD) | Argentina:102 min

Country:

Spain | UK

Language:

English | Spanish | German

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:MA (2006) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | USA:R | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Germany:16 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Castelao Producciones

Goofs:

Continuity: The amount of froth in David's bottle varies during his conversation with Silvia at the bar.

Quotes:

David: In a world where scientist compete against each other to give birth to the first human clone, and entere populations can be annihilated without a single brick being damaged, question is: Can we really still write science-fiction?

Movie Connections:

Features Arachnid (2001)

Soundtrack:

Gloomy Sunday

A Taut Thriller That Keeps Circling the Viewer's Mind Through a Maze

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