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"SLEEP, THOSE LITTLE SLICES OF DEATH, HOW I LOATHE THEM." --- EDGAR ALLEN POE ::::::::::::: Spoilers for plot points and resolutions can occur within my movie reviews with or without warning. Read at your own risk.

Horrorphile - April 2008

El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

April 18th 2008 00:53
El Orfanato movie poster
A well-made ghost story is a hard movie to come by. Sure, there are more of them than you can shake a broomstick at, but the ones that are genuinely enthralling, frightening, atmospheric are a rare breed of supernature. Haunted house stories are even harder to ply, but when they’re done well, they can be utterly chilling. The Abandoned was one such movie.

El Orfanato is another, and even stronger. Not only is it a superbly told drama; it’s a haunted house and ghost story par excellence. It does have some holes, but then don’t all haunted houses have cracks in the ceiling?
El Orfanato the orphanage
Presented by Guillermo del Toro, who it seems these days has become the Tarantino of Spain (his official title is executive producer), the movie does exude the same strong fluid visual style and iconographic imagery, but credit must be paid to the director for Juan Antonio Bayona, for this is his debut feature, and it’s superbly handled. As talented as del Toro is, I think El Orfanato is a better movie than the phantasmogorical Pan’s Labyrinth, a film I found to be uneven and somewhat overrated by critics and audiences.
El Orfanato Belen Rueda
Belen Rueda as Laura
El Orfanato might not be the most original story (apparently it is very similar to a low-rent French movie called Saint Ange made a few years ago), but it feels fresh and invigorating. This is partly due to the terrific performances from the leads, especially Belén Rueda as Laura (even if she doesn’t quite look as young as the age she is playing) and Roger Príncep as young Simón. Also of note in small, but crucial roles are Geraldine Chaplin as Aurora, a supernatural medium, and Montserrat Carulla as creepy Benigna.
El Orfanato Belen Rueda and Fernando Cayo
Laura and husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) reveal a hard truth to their son
Laura and her doctor husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) have moved back into her childhood home, which was an orphanage for disabled children. Their son, seven-year-old Simón, is lonely and has seemingly conjured several invisible friends to keep him entertained. The parents wish to care for a small number of handicapped children within the large home in an effort to restore the household to its former facility, but strange and disturbing events begin to occur and Laura becomes obsessed with finding the truth.
El Orfanato Roger Princep
Simon (Roger Princep) recieves the truth from his parents
El Orfanato is intelligent and controlled, yet always manages to tease and taunt and go “Boo!” at just the right moments. The production values are top-notch; everything from the location shooting to the art direction to the editing to the sound design and score. The movie has the slick stamp of a Hollywood melodrama, but glides and stings like a great Euro horror.
El Orfanato Geraldine Chaplin
Laura and Carlos invite parapsychologists into their home lead by medium Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin)
One of the key elements which lifts El Orfanato above other ghost stories is how emotionally involving the movie is. I was significantly moved during the film’s final scenes, and found it refreshingly to be manipulated in such a way by a movie of this kind. Not only is the movie haunting, but it is genuinely sad. Of course, I’ll eat my boots if Hollywood doesn’t come up with a remake (betcha they’re closing the deal as I write this), or worse still, they lure the original director to America to re-direct another version in English (the movie has Hollywood appeal written all over it, the question is to what extent will they change the screenplay, especially the ending …?)
El Orfanato Belen Rueda
Laura has to return to her past in order to find the truth
I find it perturbing when I think of Hollywood getting its grubby mitts all over this fabulous film, but it’s inevitable in this day and age when a foreign movie of above-average calibre isn’t re-packaged for the lowest-common dominator in America. But enough griping, just make sure you go see El Orfanato on the big screen when it opens theatrically, you won’t be disappointed.
El Orfanato orphan in a mask
There's nothing creepier than a kid in a creepy mask

El Orfanato is released in Australia on May 29th.

Here's an effective "international" trailer:


And the typical Hollywood-styled trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews
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20 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Damo

April 18th 2008 02:18
I like the creepiness of well crafted Boo and spill your popcorn story.

I have to concur I did find Pan Labyrinth overrated and bordering on propaganda in some parts. (but that is a separate story)

I look out for this. I have seen another ghost story from Spain about kids in an orphanage and it was also great. So I look forward to catching this one.

Comment by Irene

April 18th 2008 03:27


Grammar Matters
Cooking Monkey
Pan’s Labyrinth, a film I found to be uneven and somewhat overrated by critics and audiences.

I completely agree with that statement. I liked that movie, but I didn't think it was quite the masterpiece that everyone made it out to be.

I enjoyed The Devil's Backbone a great deal (wonder if Damo is talking about that one too?), and I'm looking forward to seeing The Orphanage. I'll have to wait for DVD though. It's already come and gone out of theatres here in Canada.

Comment by Bryn

April 18th 2008 04:04


Horrorphile
Damo and Irene, at last!!! People who agree with me over Pan's Labyrinth!! My wife loves it, but I wasn't as taken ... sure, it had some great moments, but certainly didn't deserve to be touted around as much as it was ...
Irene, I saw some of The Devil's Backbone on SBS late one night, but fell asleep during it ...
Pity you missed El Orfanato on the big screen, make sure you see the DVD then.

Comment by Damo

April 18th 2008 06:19
Irene
Yes I think that was the film.
Young kids, ghosts and unexploded bomb sitting in the middle of the yard. I found it to be a an excellent character driven ghost story.

Comment by Maryam DiMauro

April 18th 2008 17:55


Wingy's Youtube
ThirtyInMotion
it si a good film i reviewed it myself two weeks ago...
although in the end it really isn't a horror movie but rather an amalgm of our fear of the unknown

Comment by tlcorbin

April 18th 2008 19:37


Coffee Quip
Sounds great! Bring it on Byrn, bring it on.

Raven

Comment by Bryn

April 19th 2008 01:41


Horrorphile
Maryam,
which film did you review? The Devil's Backbone or The Orphanage?



Comment by JohnDoe

April 19th 2008 05:32


Film & TV on DVD
Hi Bryn,

You have me excited to see this one, (even if I dig Pan's Labyrinth but I thought Devils Backbone and Cronos are Del Torro's finest)

Sounds very rich in ideas and dense atmosphere.....good to hear

Comment by Maryam DiMauro

April 19th 2008 05:58


Wingy's Youtube
ThirtyInMotion
I reviewed the orphanage...
Really Long Link
i liked it, but scary ghost kids always creeps me out. I think i need to go back and watch it more closely to see some clues about the whole thing

Comment by Maryam DiMauro

April 19th 2008 06:05


Wingy's Youtube
ThirtyInMotion
and yeah, they probably WILL remake the film, why do Hollywood think people won't watch the original?
Gahhh
And I did think the actress who played Laura was a bit too old to play 34, but she was really good in it. Samuel was so cute you could eat him up and the psychic woman stole the show...the seance scene was really eerie

Comment by Bryn

April 20th 2008 08:22


Horrorphile
Maryam,
actually she was playing 37, but yeah, she so obviously looks in her 40s (which the actor is) ...
The medium was played by the legendary Geraldine Chaplin, daughter of Charlie Chaplin ... and yeah, the her hypnotised scene was creepy alright!

Comment by Cibbuano

April 22nd 2008 00:13


Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
"there's nothing creepier than a kid in a scary mask"

man, kids are easily the most terrifying figures around. Who would let them get masks?

Except for those tiny old people in Mullholland Drive. Man, they were creepy.

Comment by Jason King

May 13th 2008 07:15


Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness

Nice one - well written!!
Thanks for dropping in on my review.
Universal has brought the rights - I refuse to watch a US remake of this.

Comment by Bryn

May 14th 2008 06:15


Horrorphile
Jason, of course they have. I'm not surprised in the slightest. I hope Guillermo and the director Juan made a tidy packet from it. Glad you liked my review

Comment by Journeywoman

December 18th 2009 02:52


Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Wow, only just saw this one on DVD last night, and it is truly terrifying! A friend recommended it as a scary movie after we laughed our way through Paranormal Activity.

This is probably the best haunted house movie I've ever seen, and I agree, an English-speaking Hollywood remake would ruin it. Apparently it's happening anyway though... last I heard they were looking for a "high profile female lead." Grrrr.

Comment by Bryn

December 18th 2009 03:59


Horrorphile
Journeywoman, pity you found Paranonormal Activity so amusing ... I loved it, in a scary way, but then again I saw it knowing nothing about it, without the hype, six months ago.

This is great movie indeed, but it has its own contrivances as well (and one huge continuity flaw).

Comment by Journeywoman

December 19th 2009 11:05


Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Paranormal Activity just didn't scare me, but you're right in that I saw it along with the rest of the public, after all of that ridiculous hype... it reminded me a bit of The Blair Witch Project in the way that it was billed as "the scariest movie ever" and yet made me laugh rather than jump out of my skin.

Although, there was a part in The Orphanage that also unintentionally made me laugh, when Carlos and Laura are trying to find their son on the beach and both keep stacking it in the water

Which continuity flaw was the major one? I only spotted two or three forgivable plotholes. Must have missed something....



Comment by Bryn

December 20th 2009 23:19


Horrorphile
That her son, when she finds him in the basement, is still a body rather than a pile of bones ...

Comment by Journeywoman

December 21st 2009 00:20


Great Hair Style Tips
I Dream of Hollywood
Fashion Peach
Oh yeah, good point. He wasn't even slightly decomposed, come to think of it....... haha it seems so obvious now!!

Thanks for that Bryn

Comment by Bryn

December 21st 2009 01:01


Horrorphile
They call it poetic licence. It's abused all the time

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