What a brilliantly haunting film. I recently watched this thinking it would be an easy, jumpy run of the mill horror film, but I was wrong. The slow building tension in this brings it to a shocking and disturbing end.
Laura (Belen Rueda) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo), with their adopted son Simone (Roger Princep), decided to buy the old orphanage where Laura grew up. The idea was to move in, do it up and have a small care home for special needs children. The orphanage itself is a sprawling, creepy old building which is typical of horror films. The floor boards creaked, the doors groaned and it just screamed haunted house. It was wonderfully atmospheric especially the shots of the slowly turning playground ride and the long shots of the bathroom door. I was spooked out from the very beginning.
The film was slow to build up but kept the creepy feel throughout. It was much more in depth than a blood and gore horror, it took it’s time to build a background and to create the atmosphere. It still had a few jumpy moments and scenes which were scary, but it may not be a film for those who like a lot of gore or a jump a minute.
The story really gets going when Simone goes missing during a welcome party for the new children. The plot follows the couple on search for their son but still cannot find him 9 months later. It is during this time that Laura hears noises around the house, and general ghostly things. They even hire a medium to come, who finds ghosts of the children from the orphanage floating around. This is when Laura believes that the ghost children are Simone’s imaginary friends and that they have taken him. She starts trying to talk to them in the hope that they will give Simone back. This leads to a frenzied hunt for the ‘clues’ the ghosts have left and to a shocking and heartbreaking climax to the film.
The acting was really believeable and moving, especially Belen Rueda who plays Laura. The director Guillermo del Toro makes a fantastic film.
This film has stayed on my mind for days and even writing this I’m feeling spooked. It is a must see. It’s in Spanish with English subtitles but that doesn’t detract from the film. The only problem with that: is having to read the subtitles meant that I couldn’t hide behind my hands! A really wonderfully spooky film which will linger in your head for days.
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A few years ago I would not have entertained watching a subtitled movie ... until I saw Del Toro's Pan's Labrynth. Your review of this vie amkes it sound intriguing ... so will have to check it out. Great stuff !!! (and thanks).
Advantages: An absolutely brilliant psychological horror, excellent in every sense. Disadvantages: The film is subtitled, this may be off-putting for some.
RazzaLazza 22.03.2008 (22.03.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Orphanage (DVD)
Sep 21st, 2009
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