The Orphanage
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Movie Reviews of The Orphanage
Movie Review: A ghost story in the classic tradition.
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Orphanage" was the first feature film not only for director Juan Antonio Bayona but for a large portion of the crew, including the screenwriter and the cinematographer. The film, however, would be a remarkable achievement for the most seasoned veterans in the business. A haunted-house story in the classic tradition of "The Haunting" and "The Innocents," "The Orphanage" unfolds deliberately, planting all the necessary clues in due course, not revealing all its secrets till the very end. Bayona makes us care very deeply about the characters, particularly Laura (Belen Rueda), whose growing horror, desperation and despair mirrors that of the audience. "The Orphanage" is for the most part free of gore; Bayona, unlike most young directors today, realizes that what he doesn't show us is infinitely more horrifying than what he does. The final ten minutes will fill you with horror, but also with emotions far more mixed and complicated than horror, and that is what raises "The Orphanage" far above a mere genre exercise. Beautifully photographed and designed, impeccably acted by both the adult and child actors, "The Orphanage" will linger in your memory as the great ghost story that it is. Be sure to watch the short "Making Of" documentaries on the CD's Special Features section; they are informative and charming, and also serve to defuse any lingering fears you may have for the well-being of the cast!Movie Review: A Subtlety-Crafted, Beautifully Atmospheric Ghost Story
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: Classic Supernatural Suspense
Summary: 5 Stars
Guillermo Del Toro's film factory has produced another masterpiece of ghostly suspense for those of us old enough to remember when supernatural films were truly scary and not just disgustingly gory. Like previous films of this type, Del Toro's own Cronos, Devil's Backbone & Pan's Labyrinth and similar films such as 'The Other', 'The Shining'. and the 'The Haunting', this film by first time director Juan Bayona is suspenseful ghost story that relies on the audience's immersion into the details of the atmosphere of the story rather than visual shock. Not that there aren't a few quick shockers, but the film relies more on story and character development than the usual blood and guts that turns off many film goers. Like the 'Sixth Sense', the film's ending leaves you with the desire to view it again to catch what you missed the first time. The only negative aspect of this film is that some English speaking only viewers may be put off by the foreign language audio and subtitles. I watched this film on DVD and I wish that an English audio option was available even though I could follow some of the Spanish audio because the need to read on-screen text serves as a distraction to the visual style of the film itself.Movie Review: Amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Orphanage" (or "El Orfanato") is a great movie. It's from Guillermo del Toro (director of "Pan's Labyrinth"), so you know you're going to get an amazing Spanish horror-thriller film with a great and mysterious plotline. The film starts very well, and after about 30-40 minutes, the tension starts rising and while the film itself isn't scary, it's very mysterious. The film probably won't scare you if you've seen a lot of horror movies, but instead of thinking of it as a horror film, think of it as more of a mystery-drama film, instead. "The Orphanage" does have it's slightly creepy scenes with a great setting (the cinematography is also amazing), and once it's after the hour mark, the tension and drama really starts rising.
There's kind of a spoiler ahead, so if you've never saw the movie and don't want to know what happens, I suggest you stop reading. Anyway, I love the fairy-tale like ending with a little twist. The final minutes of the film get very emotional and it really grabs you into this well-executed film. It has a pretty happy ending altogether, and I liked that. Altogether, if you love mystery movies, I suggest you see "The Orphanage".
Movie Review: Terrific Ghost Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
THE ORPHANAGE is a terrific ghost movie.
Not only does it have plenty of moments that will make you jump in your seat, and I can assure you that I did several times, but it also contains a very intelligent, human story that makes you care about the people involved.
The exquisitely photographed Spanish-language picture (with English subtitles) was directed by J.A. Bayona and co-produced by Guillermo Del Toro. The filmmakers describe it as "a Peter Pan-like story from the mother's point-of-view".
Belen Rueda, in an award-worthy performance, stars as "Laura," a wife and mother, who with her family buys the seaside house that was once the orphanage where she was raised. They have no sooner moved into the mansion when her son starts seeing "invisible friends," and shortly after that, he disappears. Laura's husband (Fernando Cayo) thinks the boy was kidnapped, but Laura is positive that he was taken by the ghostly children in the house.
Geraldine Chaplin has a strong cameo role as a medium.
Leave the lights on for this one.
© Michael B. Druxman