Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla Directed By: Juan Antonio Bayona Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: New Line Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: April 22, 2008 Running Time: 105 minutes Theatrical Release Date: January 11, 2008
Product Description: A woman discovers dark secrets hidden within her cherished childhood home in the supernatural drama THE ORPHANAGE the feature film debut of acclaimed young Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona. A superbly atmospheric and emotionally powerful tale of love loss and guilt.System Requirements:Running Time: 105 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER Rating: R UPC: 794043120718 Manufacturer No: 1000038293
Amazon.com: It's only his first film, but Spain's Juan Antonio Bayona has already figured out the secret to a successful supernatural thriller: emphasize character over special effects. Like Walter Salles's Dark Water and Alejandro Amenábar's The Others, The Orphanage pivots on a pretty woman and an unusual child. When her old orphanage goes on the market, Laura (Belén Rueda, Amenábar's The Sea Inside) and Carlos (Fernando Cayo) settle in with their son, Simón (Roger Príncep). Once acclimated to the remote seaside surroundings, they plan to re-open it as a home for special-needs children. Meanwhile, their seven-year-old doesn't know he's adopted or that he has a life-threatening illness. He does, however, have a lot of imaginary playmates. When Simón disappears without a trace, his parents contact the police, but to no avail. Because Laura has been hearing odd noises and having strange visions, they proceed to consult a medium. Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin, speaking perfect Spanish) is convinced they aren't alone. Carlos has his doubts, but Laura makes like a detective and revisits her childhood--through photographs, home movies, and exploration of the spooky stone manor--to determine who or what abducted her son. Produced and presented by Guillermo Del Toro, The Orphanage is less fanciful than his works, though it does bear a vague resemblance to the ghostly Devil's Backbone. There are a few gory make-up effects, but Bayona mostly preys on our fear of the unknown to craft a first-rate fright fest. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
The Orphange There should be a warning on the front of the DVD case that this movie is only available in Spanish... how can anyone enjoy a horror movie that they have to read through everything, I shut the movie off half way through and returned it to the store for a refund.
A Subtlety-Crafted, Beautifully Atmospheric Ghost Story Before I start I'd like to clear up a wildly popular misconception about this flick. It was not directed by "Pans Labyrinth" director Guillermo Del Toro. He only produced this.
That being said..... This was the best ghost flick I've seen since "The Sixth Sense" (yes better than "The Others" & "The Ring" too) and easily one of the most atmospheric to date. Every facet of this film is beautifully crafted, Attention is painfully given to each detail & every angle is expertly covered. There isn't a single scene that is irrelevant, regardless of how subtle some might seem. The most seemingly insignficant of which, are easily the MOST relevant.
The plot, the characters, the setting, the atmosphere; everything was Genius, pure genius!! I damn-near cried at the conclusion, which in my opinion could have been viewed as either happy, or sad, or both. All around, it's an excellent flick!! A worthy addition to any cinephiles collection. I personally couldnt recommend it enough! especially for those who loved: "Tale of Two Sisters", "Skeleton Key", "Devils Backbone", or "Pans Labyrinth"
MORAL OF THE STORY: That which was lost, can always be found, because That which was loved, can never be forgotten.
Lingering... Plot:
Laura (Rueda) returns to the orphanage that was once her home with the intention of reopening it, taking with her, her adopted son Símon (Príncep) and husband Carlos (Cayo). Shortly after a few sleepless nights in a new house that warrants comfort, Símon (Príncep) finds an imaginary friend who once lived in the same Orphanage prior to its closure; the funny thing is: the number of imaginary friends starts to grow...
My Review:
One thing to point out is that Guillermo Del Toro did lend a hand in this pictures creation yet as a producer; the directorial debut is given to Juan Antonio Bayona, credited as J. A. Bayona. However those familiar with Del Toro's work will be aware and should be aware of his presence throughout the film, that nostalgic sepia tone elements to the camera imagery that can be traced to `Cronos' and `The Devil's Backbone'.
Very astute is the idea that both Director/Producer Del Toro and J. A. Bayona have a great matching affinity for the tautly woven and darkly mingled fantasy `slash' horror. J. A. Bayona may be considered as Del Toro's prodigy or quick understudy that shows even why with the help of Del Toro; Bayona will never be out of work.
The new found director learns the basic skills from his mentor, in a platonic sense of the same layout; a good scripted, great acted and a well-told story before the multitude of shocks, blood, and that sense of unease that Del Toro gives unlike Hollywood horror directors of recent films like `Saw' or `The Others'.
The film doesn't have anything new to give to scare the audience today; instead he takes his stand stead to the classical shock treatment through the use of making a murder mystery/thriller with the loose elements of horror. The location, the Orphanage itself plays like something that has occurred in the nuance of Hollywood horror before many times before, however the take (however common) feels new and fresh, even with the orphanage have the complete range of gimmicks and prickly on-goings like a groaning staircases and a squeaky outside carousel that moves to appear caught in a heavy winds grasp when anyone looks out the window. When the settings and the basic story is established, Bayona settles into telling his story, working through the finely tuned elements of fear that are unforeseen.
Belén Rueda's character' past life is revealed as a young resident of the orphanage, one of the few without obvious disability and so the only one to find a new family. She comes back to the place of her many disowned friends and homely stand stead either to rekindle the life she had and make it a home for other kids as a act of kindness or too help her understand her own inner dealings now passed down to her adopted son. Of which is apparent when the past of her son's life, Símon, is revealed through the friendship with an `imaginary' lad who likes to hide in caves on the beach and play games with intravenous knowledge of Símon and his family.
Laura ends up in a desperate situation that takes her further into contact with the ghosts of her past, both literally and figuratively. The story plays out more through the use of a horrific sack mask covering that opens up old wounds and provides the steps towards traditional scares.
The brink of emotional degradation of Belén Rueda's persona is paraphrased with the ghost story and crime proceeding and is what makes her performance incredible, a desperate mother looking for her son though she doesn't really go round looking for him, she doesn't run outside with pictures to give to the public, she very much believes that the ghosts of the past of this old orphanage hold the key to finding Símon and begins to question if they mean any harm? Like most ghosts, are they trying to tell us something?
Verdict:
A calmly placed horror/thriller that provides the jumps through the mystery of finding a missing child, a brutal and emotionally sad ending that works to startling effect. 8.5/10.
Wonderful movie, good service. This is one of my most favorite movies since "The Devil's Backbone". A lovely story and quite scary. It's definitely a keeper.
Not Really A Horror Film, Per Se... THE ORPHANAGE is a tough film to review, as it had some really good points but some really low ones, too.
The highest point comes from Guillermo del Toro's association with it. For those unaware, del Toro was the genius behind such films as Hellboy, the new Hellboy II and the exquisite Pan's Labyrinth. Visually wondrous and stark, del Toro has a discerning eye for what does and does not work, and one can easily see his input (as a producer this time) within The Orphange. Although he had a hands-off approach for this film, you can see it is distinctly del Toro in nature, with heavy shadows, complex film shots, and a movie that lets the images speak rather than a visceral score (which was minimal).
Spanish stage-star-turned-film-actress Belén Rueda pulls in a fantastic performance as a returning woman to the orphanage she once inhabited as a child, but this time as owner of the failing building. Her pouty eyes, ruffled hair, and slumped shoulders gave her just the right mixture of attractiveness and cookyness that such a role demanded. When Laura's (Belén Rueda) adopted son Simón (Roger Príncep) goes missing from a party at the house/orphanage, Laura obviously does everything to try and locate him. Her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) also tries for many months but soon loses faith in ever finding the boy alive. He's probably right, too, since the boy was sick and needed daily medications. But Laura refuses to give up. She "feels" something in the house, just as Simón had before he disappeared. Simón kept referring to invisible friends who wanted him to stay and play with them. Laura and Carlos, of course, just assumed the boy to have an active imagination.
But Laura begins awakening to memories of her time at the orphanage, and with this comes a flood of troubled remembrances. When a group of paranormal researchers are called in to see if they can find out what happened to Simón, Laura's suspicions are aroused further, but cause a rift to grow between she and her husband. Carlos soon leaves but Laura stays, and she starts "playing the game" that these memories tell her to (including a game of hide and seek that results in some of the film's scarier moments, "1 ...2 ...3...Knock on the wall.")
Although the performances and filming were done with great care, the script itself was not. Deus ex machina rules the ending (just think of the movie The Others and you'll be real close). That this film has horror elements is undeniable, but genre-wise it doesn't quite fit. Although I don't think shoe-horning a film into a specific genre is a good thing, it does give the viewer a sense of what to expect and how the story will unfold. Not so here. The ending makes it a bit too sweet. Okay, so that might not be fair if you compare Pan's Labyrinth's ending and this one (true, they are similar). But Pan's Labyrinth had a much more cohesive story that came at you from a child's perspective. With The Orphanage, it is through Laura's eyes that we see this world, and she's a grown up with grown up ideals. Plus the brutality of Pan's Labyrinth was horrifically pulled off by the evil protagonist, while in The Orphange, it really had none other than its own circumstances.
But if you're in the mood for something visually appealing, this one will stimulate that portion of your brain. Just don't expect a smashing success ...or a horror film.
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