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El Orfanato (English: The Orphanage) Starring: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep Directed by: Juan Antonio Bayona Produced by: Guillermo del Toro Review: I saw a preview for this film a few days ago, and wasn't really intrigued until I saw Guillermo del Toro's name pop up. After seeing Pan's Laybrinth, I'm frankly convinced that everything this man touches is golden. Naturally, I came into the theater with high expectations, and this movie did not disappoint on any level. The film centers around Laura, a woman who was adopted from her orphanage, her husband Carlos, and her adopted son Simón. Laura moves into the orphanage years later, with the intent of converting into a home for special children who need significant care. During a get together for potential students, Simón goes missing, and both Laura and Carlos must deal with the loss of their son, and the strange events surrounding it. The acting is quite simply phenomenal. There's not a single actor in this movie that does not feel real. Rueda is outstanding as the mother, and her expressions incite empathy throughout the entire film. Cayo plays a husband who struggles with the loss of his son and his wife's descent into insanity, as she refuses to accept her son's departure. There's not a single moment that feels forced, or an emotional display that feels out of place. The filmography is also outstanding, and Bayona does a marvelous job of creating an atmosphere that is both terrifying and realistic. The film, while certainly not a horror movie, contains quite a few scenes that leave you with chills up your spine. Admittedly, there are moments that rely on "what's-that-in-the-corner" scares, but the majority of unnerving scenes are based on the setting, the music, and the expressions of the actors. However, by the end of the film, the most horrifying aspect is that, as a viewer, it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate the real from the unnatural. I really can't say enough great things about this film. Bayona and del Toro weave an incredible story, and create a movie that is engaging, terrifying, heartwrenching, and beautiful. The last fifteen minutes of the movie left me with goosebumps, tears, and a huge grin. I can't remember the last time I saw something that was so emotionally involving. Please do not be deterred by the fact that this is a Spanish language film, as the subtitles leave little out of what the actors are saying (I am a fluent Spanish speaker, and while some of the translations are slightly off, the jist of everything is captured). Rating: 5.5/5
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Jan 14, 2008 11:42
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 20:49 |
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This movie, for me, was extremely reminiscent of Pan's Labyrinth and Devil's Backbone. For a first time director this is an amazing accomplishment as I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire movie. I kind of thought the very very last seen in the movie was unnecessary though. Overall 3.5/5, good film.
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Jan 14, 2008 21:44
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The only thing I would have changed about this movie is I would have ended it a bit earlier to leave the audience thinking for a few minutes. You know what I'm talking about. Right when it brightens up and you see her retelling Peter Pan to her old friends This movie has the right kind of horror feel to it that most movies today lack. It relies on the creepiness and sadness of what is going on, rather than relying on shock value and violence everywhere. Really, the only gross parts were Benigna on the sidewalk, and after she finds Tomas' secret room. I give the movie 5/5. I love Guillermo's movies. I was not let down in the least.
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Jan 18, 2008 01:00
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The movie was fantastic. The thing I truly loved about it was that I was wondering if any of the ghost scenes were even real, or just a product of the woman's insane grief. It was very much like Pan's Labyrinth in that respect...and just like in Pan's Labyrinth there was maybe one or two scenes that proved the situation was paranormal, and not just imagined. The chalk door outline in Pan's proved it, and in the Orphanage it was the fact that there is no way the kid could have set up the scavenger hunt without physically having the doorknob when he was accidentally locked in the basement.) A horrifying, yet beautiful story. 4.5/5
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Jan 19, 2008 17:14
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I completely dug this movie. I've been recommending it to everyone I know. Unlike most people, I was very ambivalent about "Pan's Labyrinth" and didn't really understand why everyone was making such a big deal over it. I mean, Guillermo Del Toro practically did the exact same movie just a few years earlier called "The Devil's Backbone" that employed the use of totally awesome and creepy ghosts instead of stupid little faeries. Maybe I'm just not as into fantasy as I should be, but I still think that ghosts are a far superior way to tell a sad story. This Belén Rueda character more than earns his stripes here as Del Toro's protégé. If you can get over the really slow pace of the first thirty or forty minutes, you're definitely in for a treat. I liked the fact that the movie didn't rely heavily on jump scares or cheap tactics to stun people. The fear was very expertly built on the viewer's sense of foreboding instead. You know that something has gone horribly, horribly wrong in this film, but you don't really know what until the end. I was seriously white knuckling it in my seat for the latter half of the film and had to keep bringing myself down with mantras like, "it's just a movie! Chill out!" In addition, this film could also claim to be a darker retelling of "Peter Pan". It doesn't bill itself as such, but it absolutely could pull a claim like that off, and the fact that it has so many different levels like this is one of the other things that really impressed me about it. I was choking back tears when Laura came to the realization that she had accidentally killed her son. What an unexpected tragedy! Simon's mummified body also looked thoroughly eerie and jarring, and mad props has to go out to the props (lol) department on that one. The only thing I didn't really like were the last few scenes of the movie. I was feeling good and satisfied up until Laura's husband put the flowers on the memorial plaque in front of the orphanage and the screen faded out. That scene was fine, but then there was that whole other sequence with him walking around in the brightly-lit orphanage and finding his old St. Antonio medal wedged in between the floorboards. Someone else at the imdb.com boards explained what this scene was supposed to accomplish (Carlos told Laura that she could give the medal back once she found Simon), but it still felt a little slapped-on and cheesy. When he just beamed into the camera as the light brightened, I found myself getting confused. Like, "okay, is he seeing the ghost of his dead wife in front of him? What's happening?" I would have liked it better if this scene had been cut out. Thankfully it's very brief, and is situated right at the end of the film, so it doesn't have the chance to be too distracting. This is one of the most well thought-out and intriguing ghost stories I've ever seen, and I watch a LOT of horror films. I would love to see it again just to see how many things I didn't pick up on the first go around. Seriously, if you love a good mystery, don't sleep on this flick. You will regret it.
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Jan 21, 2008 06:55
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Just saw this yesterday. A really good movie, the acting is indeed remarkable, and the scares are good. You can indeed see Del Toro's hand behind the movie, but instead of taking over Bayona's directing, he's content to remain in the background, just showing up for the moments of the film where his experience is most welcome. I too feel they should had ended the movie earlier than they did. When she was hugging her dead son's body in the basement, I thought that was the way it shoud've ended, with Laura finally finding out what had happened to her son, then moving on with her life. The last scenes felt a little too "fairy tale" for my taste, like they wanted to give her a happy ending that I felt didn't really fit with the rest of the movie. The opening credits claim the script was done during a script-writing workshop, and while it indeed is a great story, there are a couple plotholes that only show after thinking about the details. How could Benigna kill the children and hide their bodies without anyone of the other personnel noticing? Did they really not notice six children dissapearing in such a short time? Also, the parents obviously had the floor plans of the house, how come they missed the place where Simon was hiding? How could Laura see Tomas the first time without any effort? A great premise, good execution and great acting, just wish they had explained the above, if only in passing. 4/5
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Jan 29, 2008 00:06
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I thought the movie lost a lot during the last 20 minutes or so The whole clue game was interesting but it took away all the mood of the movie, why spend all that time building suspense and then just throw it away? The idea of her accidentally killing her son was very interesting, but since she had to rip wallpaper away and find the door knob which was hidden i dont see why the kid got through there The ending was just confususing, if all the ghost stuff wasnt real how did Laura die? We learn that the the social worker (Benigna) worked in the old orphanage but left while Laura was still there, but then how did she manage to kill 6 children without anyone noticing? 3.5/5
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Feb 9, 2008 19:56
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Great atmosphere, very creepy. As stated, it fell apart badly at the end. So many plot holes left me a bit unsatisfied. 3/5
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Feb 19, 2008 17:51
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I enjoyed this film immensely. The acting was some of the best I've seen in a long time, and combined with the fantastic way it was shot gave a genuine feeling of eeriness throughout. The orphanange buildings appearance constantly built up that haunted house feel, and the use of subtle techniques (knocks inside walls, closing doors etc..) to back this up worked wonders. I couldn't decide whether to place this into fantasy or horror. The 'horror' moments are intense, but few and far between. While the overall tone feels creepy throughout, those few terrifying bits for example the corpse grabbing her wrist, add some shocking scare moments into it. The fantasy aspect was well done (similar in style to Pan's), blurring the real world with the ethereal realm. I thought that the ending was good. The true horror was not the ghosts but the fact that she had inadvertantly killed her own child gave some real human sadness to an extraordinary journey. Although the final scene was a little unneccesary, I found it to be believable (in a fantasy film) and gave closure on a fantastic tale. 4.5/5
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Mar 27, 2008 15:18
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Holy poo poo this was a really scary movie. Perhaps it was the exceptional acting, but I haven't seen a film this chilling for a long time. The emotional side was touching, as well. If you're in the mood for a creepy horror/suspense film, then even if the premise looks boring, this is a must see. 5/5
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Aug 12, 2008 22:31
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It really succeeds in creating a creepy, unsettling atmosphere. There are few scenes that I would really put the "horror"-tag on, but this context makes them even more gripping and effective (most scary for me were Simon with the deformed kid's mask, the woman run over and then grabbing her wrist, the psychic entering the room with the dying children) All in all it reminded me a lot of "A tale of two sisters", which I would recommend to anyone that liked The Orphanage. A really creepy, sad and emotional movie. 5/5
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Aug 14, 2008 23:50
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 20:49 |
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Watched this a couple months ago. As others probably did I jumped on this movie because Del Toro's name popped up. The cinematography was excellent, and the movie had some of the scariest moments I've seen in a long time. The overall atmosphere of the film was incredibly foreboding, and the shock moments were great. I was incredibly disappointed with the ending though. It seemed like it didn't fit with the overall story arc of the film, and for being a Spanish film it was way too Hollywood. I also thought it was too positive, considering the director spent the last hour+ convincing the viewer how grim everything was. I've always had a soft spot for "place" horror like The Shining and Session9 and this movie was dripping with creepy atmosphere. It's a shame the ending was so out of place, still I'm interested in seeing what else these gifted Spanish directors can create. 3.5/5 Pros Solid acting, great cinematography, some very creepy moments and tons of atmosphere. Cons The movie falls apart at the end putting a pretty big damper on an otherwise great movie experience.
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Aug 15, 2008 21:01
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