The Orphanage

2007 "A tale of love. A story of horror."
The Orphanage
7.4| 1h45m| R| en| More Info
Released: 28 December 2007 Released
Producted By: Telecinco Cinema
Country: Spain
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage, intent on reopening it. Before long, her son starts to communicate with a new invisible friend.

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Reviews

Rog Pile The first time I saw this, frankly I was disappointed. I came to it fresh from viewing Japanese horrors of skinny, long-haired girls walking upside-down on ceilings, vengeful victims of abuse and slaughter. I was looking for more of the same. Of course, I didn't find it. The Orphanage is a quieter kind of horror. It has more in common with Jack Clayton's 1961 film, The Innocents, than most contemporary horror. Both films show a woman fighting to save a child from what she believes to be maleficent supernatural entities. Jack Clayton's film leaves us wondering if the monster was in the woman's own mind (and the film is none the worse for that); J A Bayona leaves us with no such ambiguity. And The Orphanage is a wonderful film.But when I first watched it, yes, I was disappointed. I did want the screaming horrors of contemporary cinema, and this quietly acted drama didn't scare me. Now, about a decade later, I was able to let myself be drawn in. The weird setting of house and lighthouse, the compelling story and completely convincing acting, all worked their spell, and I was seriously creeped-out as the film reached its final act. Along with The Innocents, The Babadook and (possibly) The Others, The Orphanage has now become one of my all time favourite films.
Woodyanders Laura (a fine and affecting performance by Belen Rueda) and her family movie into a mysterious seaside orphanage that Laura grew up in as a child. Said orphanage harbors a deep dark secret that threatens to destroy both Laura and everything she has ever loved. Director J.A. Bayona eschews graphic gore and cheap scares in favor of delicately crafting a quietly spooky atmosphere that gets under the viewer's skin in an understated, yet still unsettling way. Moreover, the absorbing story that's set up with utmost care and precision by Sergio G. Sanchez has a tragic element to it that in turn gives this film a considerable amount of depth and poignancy. Rueda's distraught, yet determined Laura makes for a strong and sympathetic protagonist whose need to make peace with her troubled past and desire to be reunited with her missing son Simon (well played with tremendous charm and vitality by Roger Princep) ensures that this movie packs a potent emotional punch. The ending manages to be both sad and uplifting in equal measure. Fernando Cayo lends sturdy support as Laura's concerned husband Carlos. Geraldine Chaplin likewise excels as helpful medium Aurora. Kudos are also in order for Oscar Faura's sumptuous widescreen cinematography and Fernando Velaz's spare shivery score. A very touching and haunting gem.
Pjtaylor-96-138044 'The Orphanage (2007)' is a slow burning psychological thriller that successfully blends the natural and supernatural together into one expertly crafted tale of tragedy, both past and present. It's always intriguing and is remarkably subdued, allowing the audience to piece things together alongside the protagonist. As it brings its horror into the mix, it masterfully plays with audience expectation and manages to craft some suspenseful sequences that stand out no matter how you choose to read the narrative. It's interesting and engaging throughout, a unique and unexpected tale that's infinitely enhanced by its ambiguity. 7/10
begob A wife returns with her husband and child to live at the old orphanage from which she was adopted, but the secrets of the past return to haunt her family ...A tragic tale that delivers not just on ghostly menace but on pathos and humanity too. A slow build up is punctuated with a few effective jump scares, but the story changes gear during an imaginative treasure hunt and comes to its climax with near perfection.The plot is a little underdeveloped, leaving the odd hole, and some of the dialogue is misjudged - especially in a Q&A scene at about 40 mins - but all that is forgiven as the director brings it home on a wave of emotion.The performances are good, and the lead actress is outstanding: not just fascinating in close-up but a treat for the eyes as well.Music was sometimes too playful - in a horror that can be a sign of the director losing his nerve, but it didn't spoil the tone. Photography was good, with beautiful locations and a stylish circling pan of the actress in a crucial scene towards the end.Overall: a little shaky, but a pleasure for even seasoned horrorists.