Review: The Orphanage
May 2nd 2008 01:00
There’s a formula for modern ghost stories. You know how it goes: family moves into haunted abode with a dark history; creepy kid starts seeing things (which parents assume are imaginary friends, natch); things go bump in the night; hot but sensitive mum starts seeing and hearing things; obtuse dad remains sceptical until it’s too late; shocking historical reveal; end credits. Rinse and repeat.
The Orphanage (or El Orfanato if you’re of the Spanish persuasion) doesn’t deviate too far from this tried and true formula. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The film, directed by Juan Antonia Bayona and produced by Mexican maestro Guillermo del Toro is an effective ghost story that hits all the right notes and perfectly manipulates the squirms and squeals from the audience.
The Orphanage tells the story of Laura, who returns with her husband Carlos and son Simón to take over the old orphanage where she grew up. They plan to make it a home for disabled children and hopefully offer an opportunity for Simón to make some friends of the human variety instead of the imaginary ones he usually plays with.
Of course, the old place is haunted and Simón hooks up with a new group of imaginary friends; ones who like to play games. When Simón goes missing, Laura is convinced that it is the work of the living impaired residents, but of course Carlos, being the archetypical obtuse dad that he is, thinks she may be a few eggs short of a Spanish omelette. Supernatural hijinx ensue.
The “scary” scenes are perfectly paced and although there are a few jump scares of the sudden loud noise variety, Bayona doesn’t use this device as a crutch like many other directors would. By the way, what is it about child ghosts with creepy masks? The Orphanage boasts one little ghoul who wears a creepy-as-hell sack on his head… don’t kids wear Spiderman masks anymore?
The thing that does elevate The Orphanage above other formulaic ghost stories is its convincing emotional content. Laura is a very well drawn character, who manages to do all the dramatic heavy lifting for the rather archetypal characters that surround her. She grounds the film and engages the audience so that we care for her and, by default, the people that she loves.
The script is very tight, with no set-up left unpaid. I got the impression that this was where the guidance of Guillermo del Toro was most evident. His film, Pan’s Labyrinth, is a brilliant exercise in set-ups and payoffs; every clue laid early in the film comes back to a satisfying conclusion. The only downside to this is that it lends a certain predictability to the proceedings, even if you don’t guess the final reveal (which I didn’t).
Thematically, the film draws heavily on a Peter Pan motif, which is subtle at first, but by the end of the film, it has been beaten over your head a little too much. I would’ve liked to see a little more restraint with this from the filmmakers, although I guess they just wanted to be sure that the audience got it. As it stands, even anyone who has never heard of Peter Pan will get it.
Overall, The Orphanage is a very effective ghost story. It has some really great set-piece scenes that will have you clutching your chair and holding your breath, as well as the dramatic chops to engage you on a more emotional level too. This is definitely one of the more accomplished horror films I’ve seen in quite a while.
7.5/10
Timmy's first day at school went well, although he wondered why the other kids called him GayDress McSackface
The Orphanage (or El Orfanato if you’re of the Spanish persuasion) doesn’t deviate too far from this tried and true formula. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The film, directed by Juan Antonia Bayona and produced by Mexican maestro Guillermo del Toro is an effective ghost story that hits all the right notes and perfectly manipulates the squirms and squeals from the audience.
The Orphanage tells the story of Laura, who returns with her husband Carlos and son Simón to take over the old orphanage where she grew up. They plan to make it a home for disabled children and hopefully offer an opportunity for Simón to make some friends of the human variety instead of the imaginary ones he usually plays with.
Of course, the old place is haunted and Simón hooks up with a new group of imaginary friends; ones who like to play games. When Simón goes missing, Laura is convinced that it is the work of the living impaired residents, but of course Carlos, being the archetypical obtuse dad that he is, thinks she may be a few eggs short of a Spanish omelette. Supernatural hijinx ensue.
It's a beautiful house... large block, easterly aspect, newly renovated kitchen and the tormented souls of murdered children.
The “scary” scenes are perfectly paced and although there are a few jump scares of the sudden loud noise variety, Bayona doesn’t use this device as a crutch like many other directors would. By the way, what is it about child ghosts with creepy masks? The Orphanage boasts one little ghoul who wears a creepy-as-hell sack on his head… don’t kids wear Spiderman masks anymore?
The thing that does elevate The Orphanage above other formulaic ghost stories is its convincing emotional content. Laura is a very well drawn character, who manages to do all the dramatic heavy lifting for the rather archetypal characters that surround her. She grounds the film and engages the audience so that we care for her and, by default, the people that she loves.
The script is very tight, with no set-up left unpaid. I got the impression that this was where the guidance of Guillermo del Toro was most evident. His film, Pan’s Labyrinth, is a brilliant exercise in set-ups and payoffs; every clue laid early in the film comes back to a satisfying conclusion. The only downside to this is that it lends a certain predictability to the proceedings, even if you don’t guess the final reveal (which I didn’t).
"Honey... why isn't our marriage counsellor wearing pants?"
Thematically, the film draws heavily on a Peter Pan motif, which is subtle at first, but by the end of the film, it has been beaten over your head a little too much. I would’ve liked to see a little more restraint with this from the filmmakers, although I guess they just wanted to be sure that the audience got it. As it stands, even anyone who has never heard of Peter Pan will get it.
Overall, The Orphanage is a very effective ghost story. It has some really great set-piece scenes that will have you clutching your chair and holding your breath, as well as the dramatic chops to engage you on a more emotional level too. This is definitely one of the more accomplished horror films I’ve seen in quite a while.
7.5/10
Susi didn't know what was worse: her husband keeping footage of creepy kids with sacks on their heads, or that he'd taped over the last episode of Sex in the City.
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Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I loved the Peter Pan comparison and importance inthe story. It was quite sad - brought a little tear at the end.