The Orphanage

This film was executively produced by Guillermo Del Toro, the same man who brought us Pan’s Labyrinth, which I loved for so many reasons. So going in I was excited, despite the constant hindrances from family and strangers questioning why someone would want to watch a film that was in another language. Overall, the film was beautifully crafted and shot. Lighting specifically stood out to me. I believe that it was an element that the director used so effectively that it propelled much of the suspense. One scene in where lighting was emphatically used to convey unease and duress was during the paranormal investigators out-of-body experience in the supposed haunted house. A constant strobe light on the actress’ face with oblique camera angles and unnerving music provided very well for the overall unpleasant scene, which is exactly what they were hoping to accomplish.

The score was also another dynamic that allowed the film to work so well. Set against a beautiful backdrop of a colonial mansion, breathtaking beaches and sand lined caves, the mid-1900’s classical vibe serves as the perfect accompaniment for the seemingly untouchable antique statues.

My favorite and least favorite aspect of the film are wrapped together. Just like a student of the Hitchcockian way to produce films, the director was careful to allow the anticipation to accumulate and simmer over the film. There were a few payoffs that did allow that anticipation to bubble over just enough to keep us on our toes throughout—I.E. The glass window. However, I hate to say it but I did feel that there were a couple of moments of unmotivated audience jerks that did not need to be included in the piece. Whenever they are used in a film they remind me of 90 minute scare film of the week that will hold no weight over time. (One missed call, prom night, the grudge…) So I loved how there was a considerable amount of suspenseful anticipation, but in the end I wanted more out of it. I believe that there is a clearly drawn line of time in “horror” films in which it is more than motivated to take off the gloves and pay the audience off with the scares that they assumed would be in a movie coming into it. This film had all of the essential ingredients to build to an amazing horrific climax, but after the climax I felt let down.

Many critics had a beef with the ending, but I enjoyed it immensely. It worked well as a final book end on the film. And it allowed the viewer to experience the full range of the emotional arc.

(viewed in 2009)
Rating: 8.5/10