The Orphanage [Blu-ray]

Buy This Item The Orphanage [Blu-ray] by Picturehouse Entertainment  Available from Amazon  $24.95  on 10-10-2008     It's only his first film, but Spain’s Juan Antonio Bayona has already figured out the secret to a successful supernatural thriller: emphasize character over special effects. Like Walter Salles's <i>Dark Water</i> and Alejandro Amenábar's <i>The Others</i>, <i>The Orphanage</i> pivots on a pretty woman and an unusual child. When her old orphanage goes on the market, Laura (Belén Rueda, Amenábar's <i>The Sea Inside</i>) and Carlos (Fernando Cayo) settle in with their son, Simón (Roger Príncep). Once acclimated to the remote seaside surroundings, they plan to re-open it as a home for special-needs children. Meanwhile, their seven-year-old doesn't know he's adopted or that he has a life-threatening illness. He does, however, have a lot of imaginary playmates. When Simón disappears without a trace, his parents contact the police, but to no avail. Because Laura has been hearing odd noises and having strange visions, they proceed to consult a medium. Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin, speaking perfect Spanish) is convinced they aren't alone. Carlos has his doubts, but Laura makes like a detective and revisits her childhood--through photographs, home movies, and exploration of the spooky stone manor--to determine who or what abducted her son. Produced and presented by Guillermo Del Toro, <i>The Orphanage</i> is less fanciful than his works, though it does bear a vague resemblance to the ghostly <i>Devil's Backbone</i>. There are a few gory make-up effects, but Bayona mostly preys on our fear of the unknown to craft a first-rate fright fest. <i>--Kathleen C. Fennessy</i> Reader Reviews I've seen thousands of horror movies over the years and currently this is my absolute favorite. Although technically a 'suspense thriller', this film will no doubt be catagorized with other ghost-oriented films. Not a lot of gore here. No graphic violence, either. What we have here is mostly atmosphere; and it's intensely unnerving. There are no 'quick-edit' scenes that seem to be in every horror movie these days. No cheap startles designed to make the viewer jump. It's just an incredible story of a mother's love for her child with the backdrop of a haunted house. There's not a single wasted scene in this film. Everything has its place and meaning. It's so masterfully put together that even if you're not moved by the story itself, you'll be transfixed by the actual techniques used in this film. This is not a 'special-effects' feature; just simplistic filmaking that could have easily been done forty years ago and still manage to creep the hell out of the audience decades later. See this movie. I cannot recommend it enough. ~nico~

The Orphanage [Blu-ray] Available from Amazon Price: $24.95 Updated on 10-10-2008.

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