The Orphanage
Review
by Adam Frazier
As I was leaving the theater after watching
Juan Antonio Bayona’s The Orpahange, I realized – as I brushed away a
few stray tears from my eyes – that I had seen one of my favorite films
of the year.
Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth was, in my opinion, the best
film of 2006. The Orphanage, produced by Del Toro, isn't the flawless
work of genius that Pan's was, but it's a rich, chilling horror-fable
that renews my hope in the medium.
When the credits had rolled, and the lights lifted lazily from the
rafters of the theater, I didn’t want to leave that world. I was still
completely submerged in its dark, romantic ambiance, and wished to stay
there a little while longer.
As the title suggests, the film is about an old orphanage, where a
mother, Laura (the wonderful Belén Rueda), spent her childhood and
which she and her husband, Carlos (Fernando Cayo), now intend to use as
a home for children with special needs.
Meanwhile, their little boy Simón (Roger Príncep) is lonely and spends
every waking minute with his two imaginary friends, Watson and Pepe.
One day, Laura and Simón go for a walk down by the sea where Simón
wanders off to explore the depths of a cave. When she finds Simón
whispering in the dark, he appears to have made a new imaginary friend,
one who he intends to invite home.
The boy leaves a trail of seashells back to the orphanage in hopes that
his new friend will come and play. During a welcoming party for the
children who will be living at the orphanage, it seems Simón’s new
friend decides to join in on all of the fun. As all the children run
around wearing playful animal masks, a strange boy wearing a burlap
sack over his head stares at Laura and leaves her feeling uneasy.
Shortly thereafter, Simón disappears. Laura and Carlos are thrown into
a maelstrom of despair as they try to cope with the loss of their son.
The desperation in Laura comes to a head as she begins to believe that
perhaps a force within the house could have taken her son.
J.A. Bayona has delivered something of a masterpiece with his debut
feature-length film. The camera moves in such a way that you anticipate
the horror that lies beyond the edge of the frame. At one point we are
treated to a silent 16mm reel of film in which we see the dank, dark
confines of what appears to be a horribly disfigured boy’s room. As he
sits at a desk drawing, the hand-held camera positioned behind him
moves slowly, uneasily even, as it creeps forward. The suspension is so
great I feel a clinch in my chest, my mouth goes dry and spreads to the
back of my throat - I lose the ability to gulp.
As Spain's official submission to the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’
category at Academy Awards, The Orphanage is destined to
turn some heads. It’s a beautiful Spanish ghost story that not only
chills, but also stirs something within – a kind of poignancy I have
seldom experienced in a horror film.
Though it is the atmosphere of Del Toro’s glossy, horrific The Devil’s
Backbone, that gives The Orphanage its foundation – a wonderful
screenplay by the talented Sergio G. Sánchez and an amazing cast led by
Belén Rueda make this film stand out, giving it a life of its own.
The
Orphanage is truly a masterful work of cinema.
I find myself even now as I write this, a day after the viewing,
searching for a way back to that romantically dreadful atmosphere –
filled with creaking stairways and hidden rooms. It makes me think of
my own childhood, and how easy it was to believe in the fantastic.
The
Orphange has captured that magic and mystery of living in the
wonderful world of make-believe.
3 out
of 5
The
Orphanage
Australian release: 29th May, 2008
Official Website: The Orphanage
Cast: Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona Brought
To By Moviehole
|
