Relatively spooky ghost tale ala Grimm's fairy tale

Rating: 9/10 (20 January 2013)

MAMA (2013) *** Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse, Daniel Kash, Jane Moffat, Javier Botet, Morgan McGarry, Maya & Seirra Dawe, David Fox, Julia Chantrey. Relatively spooky ghost tale ala Grimm's fairy tale from executive producer Guillermo del Toro: a young couple's vein attempt to relocate his missing young nieces get more than they bargained for when the feral youths are discovered in the backwoods and the unseen titular spirit has more in store than anyone can imagine. Very well produced and based on director Andres Muschietti's short film with a beautiful production design by Anastasia Masaro and gorgeous cinematography by Antonio Riestra is underscored with a baroque score by Fernando Velazquez. The cast is uniformly excellent with a barely recognizable Chastain as the goth girlfriend/musician who rises to the challenge in raising her beau's new family; Coaster-Waldau has double duty as the girl's doomed father and caring uncle attempting to find a balance but it's the two young charges, Charpentier and Nelisse as the sweet yet scary good girls - they are the heart and soul of a film that runs the gamut of thrills and chills until ultimately a so-so end.