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Directed By
Juan Antonio Bayona
Written By:
Sergio G. Sánchez
Cast:
Belén Rueda, Geraldine Chaplin, Mabel Rivera, Andrés Gertrúdix, Edgar Vivar, Fernando Cayo, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Carla Gordillo Alicia, Georgina Avellaneda, Oscar Guillermo Garretón, Montserrat Carulla
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The Orphanage (Orfanato, El) (2007)
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Movie Review by Matthew 
February 14th, 2008
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Spooky, Chilling and Contains Real Scares
Guillermo Del Toro, the director of "Pan's Labyrinth" and "Hellboy", seems determined to revive the ghost story. Quite frankly, we need it. Too many 'horror' films are excuses for filmmakers to throw buckets of blood and gore at the screen, hurling everything at us in an attempt to see what sticks, or more appropriately, what makes us sick. Gone are the suspense and terror filmmakers like Hitchcock ("Psycho"), Robert Wise ("The Haunting") and John Carpenter (the original "Halloween") who created films with such skill, riveting us to our seats and scaring us away from showers, dark houses and babysitters. Now, 'horror' films seem determined to use as many special effects as possible to recreate the goriest, most vial displays. How is this suspenseful or frightening? It is merely sickening.
So, it was especially nice to see "The Orphanage", a truly creepy, scary ghost story produced by Del Toro and directed by JA Bayona.
A brief prologue introduces us to the Orphanage, situated near the ocean. The headmistress takes a phone call and it becomes apparent Laura, who is outside playing with the other five children in the home, will soon be leaving her friends for the comfort of a new family. Many years later, Laura (Belen Rueda), returns to the orphanage with her husband, Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and their adopted son, Simon (Roger Princep). Laura and her husband have purchased the building and are renovating it to care for five or six children "with special needs". As the renovations continue, Simon makes a new invisible friend and begins talking with him. This is really nothing new for Laura and Carlos, Simon has other invisible friends, so they aren't really concerned. But when Laura takes Simon down to the beach, and they explore the caves, Laura begins to suspect something is different. During the party, to celebrate the opening of their house, Laura has a run in with a strange child wearing a scarecrow mask and Simon disappears. Laura and Carlos search desperately for Simon, following every lead and looking everywhere. They meet a man who agrees to help and brings in a medium, Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin, Charlie's daughter). Infrared equipment is set up everywhere and they watch Aurora's every move as she tries to communicate with the spirits, the presence she feels. After a particularly harrowing moment, she comes back to the present and tells them they have many spirits roaming the house. Six to be precise. As Laura becomes more and more determined to find Simon, she also begins to unravel the secrets behind the other visitors in the house.
"The Orphanage" isn't so much about horror, or shock value, as it is about setting the mood for events that will transpire, creating suspense. From the moment Laura, Carlos and Simon return to the orphanage, to set up their home, we know they have made a bad decision. Why would Laura want to return to the orphanage where she grew up, to set up her new home? This seems strange at first. Was she drawn back to this place? Is there some tie with it, making her return? Then, we learn of Laura and Carlos' plan to reopen the home and care for children with development problems and disabilities. Laura wants to give back some of the help and kindness she received as a child, leading her to take on this huge task.
As Laura and Carlos go about setting up this house, they try to provide a normal family life for Simon. But Simon has special needs of his own, and they try to deal with, and address these needs. They try to go about their normal activities, but every time they hear a crash, Laura stops and shudders, not from fright, but because some worker somewhere has probably cost her some more money or delay the project. This is a great way for the filmmakers to divert attention, to give us some false chills, and make the real scares even better.
As they get settled in, and begin to explore the grounds. Laura tells Simon about the lighthouse just a bit away, and how she and the other children used to find comfort in it's light. She and Simon spend a lot of time together and begin to explore the grounds. One day, as they enter a cave on the beach, Simon tells his mother of his new friend. Laura has clearly heard of other invisible friends in Simon's life and seems to give it little regard, until he runs off and she sees two sets of footprints.
When they are ready to open the house to the other children, they throw a party to welcome everyone. But Simon disappears and Laura has a run-in with a child wearing an old smock, like she wore at the orphanage when she was a child. More bothersome, the child is also wearing a burlap mask with a big smile painted on. Who is this child?
When they realize Simon is gone, Laura and Carlos put everything else on hold to search for their son.
It won't fit. Please read the full review at thornhillatthemovies.com
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