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The Orphanage
Kids are creepy
Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors in the history of cinema, so when I heard that he was getting involved with this film, The Orphanage, I knew I had to see it. I just recently found out that he was only a producer for the film and that it was actually being directed by a first-time filmmaker, Juan Antonio Bayona. After just now finishing the movie, I can say WHAT?! THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME MAKING A MOVIE?! Wow. That is incredible.
And it's all because of the script, which is masterful. It weaves a tale of love, horror, and tragedy into one of the scariest movies I've seen in quite some time--quite possibly the scariest of the decade. I already have a bad habit of biting my nails but, Good Lord, I think I gnawed off my skin. I probably should not have watched this movie at night because now I may not be able to sleep. It's seriously THAT terrifying. And I love it.
Belén Rueda is terrific, just terrific, as Laura, a woman who, along with her husband, Carlos (Fernando Cayo), purchases the orphanage that she used to live in as a child with plans to remodel and reopen it. Soon after she arrives her son, Simón (Roger Príncep) starts talking about a new friend that he's made named Tomás. Laura simply waves this off as Simón making up an imaginary friend. But then strange things start happening around the orphanage. Simón disappears. Laura starts hearing strange noises in the house. She sees a boy wearing a creepy-looking burlap sack on his head. Laura starts to believe that she may never see her son again, and that maybe Tomás wasn't so imaginary after all.
Remember how much I hated the ending to the last movie I reviewed, The Life Before Her Eyes? Well, the ending of The Orphanage is like a polar opposite to that movie. It is fucking awesome. It captures perfectly a parent's love for their child and I cried and I'm not ashamed to admit that. But I warn you: it is also extremely, extremely disturbing. The picture that it paints will haunt your memories. This film is rated R for a reason. There isn't a lot of profanity ("fuck" may have been used a few times but I can't recall when) and there isn't a lot of blood. But there are some truly grotesque and unnatural sights to behold, all of which are unpleasant and some even sad, just as in del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, my favorite movie.
Unfortunately, there are some things that just don't click together right. Who is the boy in the burlap sack that Laura sees at the party? This is never really made clear to us. Why is Laura so concerned with fixing up this place? I know she lived there as a child, but why do it now? I wish the movie had gotten into the story behind that a little better. Also, I noticed a glaring error very close to the end that I will not be mentioning here because I'd rather not ruin it for anyone. It comes right before the most depressing scene in the film.
Still, this movie rocks. Bayona should be very proud of his first attempt. He has created a near-perfect horror movie that everyone should seek out. It shocked me, made me think, and drew me in. I am predicting a good career for Mr. Bayona.
Score: :D:D:D:D1/2
Categories: None
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