Review of The Orphanage (2007) by Aidan M — 07 Dec 2012

''Sometimes seeing is not believing. It's something in between...''.

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

Belén Rueda: Laura.

Fernando Cayo: Carlos.

Roger Príncep: Simón.

Mabel Rivera: Pilar.

Orphanage is directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and produced by Guillermo Del Toro and is not what I expected it to be like. More modern and realistic than anything remotely historical period fantasy.

Belén Rueda as Laura is utterly convincing in her protective mother role even though her child is adopted.

Fernando Cayo as Carlos is the typical plain level headed husband who dismisses any supernatural reasoning for more practical thinking.

Roger Príncep as Simón was very good as a troubled and haunted boy.

Orphanage to me seems like it's been inspired and taken from Silent Hill, the whole adoption thing and adopted Child circumstances laced with supernatural presence. Although it does succeed in not being very fantasy based but more gritty realism and what you can't see you fear.

Sounds and suspense is wonderfully used while darkness and twists, clues and revelations also thrown at us to boot. You realize as soon as it starts Orphanage isn't going to be a happy film but one of tragedy, loss and drama even having a Most Haunted-esque night vision scene with a medium.

Sudden frights re-occur when least expected as does more jigsaw pieces. Orphanage if I had to criticize albeit brilliant film it still is, would be some loose ends, unanswered questions and the quickness of the whole film. More detail and explanation plus flashbacks to explain what happened in greater detail to the children rather than not opting to explain it using imagery would have greatly enhanced the story perhaps.

I loved the trail of shells, the constant clues leading to more clues and the mysterious happenings surrounding the House. Gory scenes like an old woman getting run down sticks with you not to mention a deformed boy ghost who wears a sack mask is eerie.

After seeing it to conclusion I would say the valuable lesson here in El Orfanato is that happiness is sometimes illusion,unreal and something that our dreams are made of. Reality when we come crashing back to it, that's the heart breaking tragedy, the bite of life's harshness and thats the point. That life isn't all fun and games and happy endings like many Hollywood films go for and it's a brave Director or film maker who strays from this and goes for a more braver approach.

Seeing isn't always seeing, it's only your perception of reality. The tragic climax feels heart crushing yet in another perspective, is happy in a way.

A bold effort Orphanage that deserves to be watched if you enjoy Foreign Films or Supernatural Realistic Films.