The Orphanage
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Movie Reviews of The Orphanage
Movie Review: Everyone should have someone there to tuck them in at night... even the ghosts
Summary: 5 Stars
Having the misfortune of an excess of time where I have to remain mostly still, I decided to make the most of it by watching a few horror movies in broad daylight that I will likely never watch otherwise. I like Guillermo del Toro's work overall and I'd heard good things about this movie. I'm happy to say that it did indeed live up to my expectations.
The story concerns Laura who buys her childhood orphanage with the intention of making it into a home for disabled and sick children. Her adopted son goes missing and creepy things happen.
As is typical for stories involving haunted houses, most of the weird stuff is centered around or noticed by the lady of the house. The theorist in me would say something about making the safety/sanctuary of the home into something monstrous and strange and turning nurturing into neglect, but... wait, I have time on my hands. So like many subgenres where the horror involved is the "womb that destroys," Laura's house becomes a place of danger and secrets. The one glitch that I found in the storyline was that Laura didn't go back and take a look at things in the harsh light of day when she wasn't freaked out by strange noises.
I don't usually get surprised by the plot twists in a horror film. For me it's usually the suspense and lead-in to the unknown scary noises in the dark and the little glimpses of shadow out of the corner of the frame. That being said, I did like the idea that someone was trying to make something of a little Eden for kids with bad luck from a former orphanage, a term that usually brings up images of Oliver Twist asking for more soup, child abuse and bureaucratic apathy. It thought it was a nice little play on the standard trope, thought it even better that both Laura and Carlos were dedicated to it and really liked the ending in the context that even the little child spirits would be safe in that place. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing for the rather sad ending with a pinch of happy. The psychic telling Laura that those who are close to death in some way can see ghosts is a major hint to the ending.
The cinematography does an incredibly good job of emphasizing the house as a character. The little human figures are lost and isolated in its architecture and corridors. Hands and children are never immediately apparent the first time you look. Noises with no apparent cause come echoing down the halls. Like any good horror movie, it's what one cannot see that is the most terrifying. Much of the last part of the movie is about Laura being unable to see the things in front of her, although the more astute in the audience might have caught on a while back when they mention that Simon has been missing for 6 months.
The acting is well done, although I would have liked to see more of Carlos's side of things. Since the "house that destroys women" is a fairly standard trope, I would have liked to have seen the secondary effect that Laura's hauntings had on him.
This is definitely a movie one should watch with the lights on. But its an awesome movie for its visual style and care, more than its story.
Movie Review: Chilling, creepy, heartbreaking and, ultimately, exquisite
Summary: 5 Stars
A true gothic chiller in every sense of the word. From the beginning, the viewer is made aware that there's something very disturbing about "The Orphanage" and its sense of dread and doom prevail through the duration. Laura returns to the orphanage where she once lived with the hopes of establishing a home for children with special needs. In tow are her adorable son and her loving, if, at times, skeptical husband. Life couldn't seem sweeter as they settle into the foreboding structure they now call home. Shortly upon their arrival, the boy (Simon) prone to fits of fancy announces to his mother that he has met a boy that lives inside a seaside cave, which they stumbled upon shortly after their arrival. This friend, Tomas, whom no one but Simon can see, starts revealing things to him; things that he would have otherwise never known, including among them, that he was adopted and that he is ill and will soon die. After several other unsettling incidents, Simon announces that he now has five additional imaginary friends. One afternoon, while Laura is preparing to host a gathering for prospective residents, Simon enrages her and she strikes and scolds him before heading out to attend to the arriving guests. During the party she has an unsettling feeling when she sees a child with a sack mask seemingly staring at her. A child that we later realize no one but she can see and one that bears a striking similarity to one her son drew earlier in a portrait of his new friends. She runs back inside the house to seek out her son but is unable to find him, ending up in the bathroom. As she stands in the doorway she notices the child with the sack mask standing at the end of the hall and who slowly starts moving in her direction. After a brief altercation in which she is knocked inside the bathtub, the masked child closes and locks the door. Simon, we are later informed, is nowhere to be found and the parents are understandably crestfallen. What follows is a series of disturbing events that slowly illuminate all that has transpired, all while the landscape darkens and the sensation of tragedy and doom are heightened and the viewer is left to hold his breath. This is first rate story telling and the director's talents are in full evidence from the word go. This is textbook example of content over bombast. There a no special effects to speak of and gore non-existent. The characters are finely etched and the performances, uniformly excellent. From the imposing architecture of the house, to the rain swept, rocky coastline, solitary lighthouse and shadowy interiors, The Orphanage is a treat for the true lover of gothic horror and suspense. The conclusion is positively heartbreaking, yet equally beautiful and no one that sees it will soon forget it. Exquisite filmmaking, proving, once and for all, that restrain and subtlety pay dividends and when characters and not characterizations propel a story. If you loved The Devil's Backbone, The Others, The Sixth Sense or my personal favorite ghost story, The Changeling, you will more than love this wonderful atmospheric experience.Movie Review: Surprising Depth
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not a fan of horror movies in general, as I don't like gore. But I do love a good, spooky thriller. And this movie is one of the best I've seen - better than " The Sixth Sense", or "The Others". I heard about Guillermo del Toro when he did the first Hellboy. I became a fan after seeing Pan's Labyrinth. Del Toro has a real gift for building tension - this film is creepy, jump in your skin suspenseful and though I guessed where the plot was going, the ending still had a good twist. Even more, the ending was near perfect and tied all the bits together without blatantly answering one question - are the ghosts real?
Laura was raised in an orphanage. Years later she returns there with her husband and son to open a home for ill children. The day the children arrive, Laura is attacked by a child with a burlap sack mask and her son Simon disappears. The police are called in, a massive search is conducted but he's not found. At this point, strange things begin to happen in the house. Banging sounds, flashes of visions. Laura suspects Simon has been kidnapped by ghosts and calls in a medium. Her physician husband obviously fears for her sanity. Yet, the audience is never certain if these are the actions of a desperate mother, or a woman who's truly being haunted. There is a lot of emotion in the story, giving the film a surprising depth. The acting is superb, and rarely over the top. Music is used almost sparingly - never actually creating the suspense, only enhancing it. I thought this was especially good filmmaking as too often the music gives away that something is about to happen. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Laura turns her back on a dark room playing a counting game - the first time she turns around, ghostly forms of children appear across the room. Each time she counts and turns around, they have moved closer. It was so creepy my skin crawled! Overall, a stunning movie that I will definitely watch again.
The DVD has a few featurettes, the best of which is the making of, "When Laura Grew Up" which includes interviews with the cast and filmmakers. I think this movie would have exploded at the box office had it been in English - which is a shame. I do regret that the DVD has no dubbed track. I noticed many reviewers complained about this, and were sniped at by fans of the film. That's a little unfair. I have family members who can't read subtitles fast enough to keep pace with a film. If they are reading the subtitles, they miss what the characters are doing on screen. I don't mind subtitles as I understand that something can be lost from the original language, and I read fast enough. But many people missed out on an excellent film because they can't read fast enough - especially for a movie with twists, and little clues taking place on screen so frequently. Those who can follow subtitles could still enjoy the movie as intended, but a dub track would expand the audience a little more. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Smart, Credible, and Affecting. A First-Rate Gothic Horror Film.
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Orphanage" is a rare horror film whose strong emotions and believable motives make it a tear jerker as well as a supernatural thriller. Laura (Belen Rueda) spent half of her childhood in an orphanage on Spain's coast, before she was adopted. As an adult, she returns to the enormous and beautiful home, long since fallen into disuse, with her physician husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and 7-year-old son Simon (Roger Princep). The couple intend to re-open the establishment as a home for disabled children. But Simon's temperament is becoming belligerent, and he is fast accumulating imaginary friends. Then he disappears without a trace.
This is a ghost story, but, in spite of its supernatural elements, "The Orphanage" has a rigorous logic. I appreciated that, as horror films so often get sloppy with their narratives. The story is propelled forward by two strong emotions: fear of whatever lurks in the house and Laura's fierce maternal love. Laura takes the audience with her on frantic searches for clues, which give the film an action movie pace and emotional immediacy between the thoughtful lulls. At the halfway point, I thought the film lost its pacing and went off the rails until I realized that the film -and the audience's perception of it- pivots at that point. Then I was impressed by the well-conceived structure.
Director J.A. Bayona, writer Sergio G. Sanchez, cinematographer Oscar Faura, and editor Elena Ruiz, amazingly, are all working on their first feature film. Bayona harkens back to the best years of Hollywood genre filmmaking by creating the orphanage completely on a soundstage. It's a stunning set and a wonderful character in the movie. They go easy on the score and try to tell the story visually as much as possible. Belen Rueda makes us feel her anguish, desperation, and fear at the loss of her son. "The Orphanage" is top-notch gothic horror, comparable to the best psychological thriller/horror films that have come out of Asia in recent years. In Spanish with optional subtitles.
The DVD (New Line 2008): "When Laura Grew Up: Constructing the Orphanage" (16 min) interviews director, producers, writer, cast, et al about characters and themes, acting with children, the set, digital effects, and the score. "Tomas' Secret Room: The Filmmakers" (10 min) is a documentary in 5 parts about various aspects of production: the crew, the score, the orphanage, digitally effects, the title sequence. "Horror in the Unknown: Make-up Effects" (9 min) interviews the make-up artists about Tomas, Laura's leg, and Begnina's make-up. In "Rehearsal Studio: Cast Auditions and Table Read" (3 min), the director talks about working with the actors. There are 6 Still Galleries of 198 sketches and photos. "Marketing Campaign" includes 2 Spanish trailers, 2 US trailers, and 12 posters. Subtitles for the film are available in English and Spanish.
Movie Review: A ghost story/family story/mystery that builds and builds to a finale of astonishing beauty
Summary: 5 Stars
I decided to buy this based on the good reviews and the fact that Guillermo del Toro--one of my very fave directors, and the director of my fave ghost story--The Devil's Backbone--produced this.
Well, no disappointment here. Not in any part. The acting, the direction, the scenery, the set design, the script, the music, the ending--it all worked together, all paid off.
This starts off slowly, gently. But from the first images of children playing a game in the yard fronting a large, mansion-style orphanage--the shadows, the direction, the way the action of an innocent game is set up--perfectly sets the tone of the film. It's nostalgic, but it's also slightly creepy. It foreshadows a lot. Pay attention.
Zoom years later. One of those children who'd been playing in the yard, the girl Laura, is now grown with a son. We find out the main characters--mother Laura, father, son Simon--have purchased the former orphanage and plan to set up a residence to care for special needs children. Simon, himself, is a special needs child: He has HIV.
Soon, the game of "invisible friends" takes on an ominous reality. And every scene builds tension, builds, builds, until we really are at the edge of our seat as this mother is thrown into the greatest nightmare of parents.
The film then asks the question--of the lead and of the viewer--how far will a mother, this mother, go to find her missing son?
While the conclusion felt inevitable and was pretty obvious quite early on (the clues are all there, and the script does not cheat), it's the HOW of getting to it that makes this all work. Almost all is fairly foreshadowed, but the small actions and words that lead us along to those conclusions can be easily missed if we focus on something that seems more emotional.
I cannot describe how beautiful the finale--the climactic moment-- is. Tragedy, sorrow, redemption and beauty all coalesce. It is a miraculous cooperation of acting/direction/storytelling/setting/lighting and music that brings us to this moment of bittersweet magic.
The denouement is lovely, too, leaving us with a feeling of what we lose as human beings, mortal beings, and what we can gain if there is more than mere matter.
Tragedy redeemed--that's what I thought as I went to bed after seeing this.
Yes, this is a ghost story that disturbs mightily, and the scares are surely present, but it is not a gore-show. It is a more human and artistic ghost story, and is in fact MORE than a ghost story. It's a story of family and friendship, and of a mother who will not give up, because the deepest love outlives the grave, even defeats the grave.
You really need to see this film. Magnificent. (And pay very close attention to EVERYTHING, for all the strings come together in the end.)
Mir