Movie Review: El Orfanato (The Orphanage)

Starring:
Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla, Edgar Vivar, Andrés Gertrúdix

Director:
Juan A. Bayona (El Hombre Esponja)

MPAA Rating:
R for some disturbing content.

Release Date:
October 2007

Synopsis:
With fond memories of the seaside orphanage where she was raised, Laura persuades her husband to help her revamp it as a facility for disabled children. But once they move in, their son Simón begins to exhibit dark and disturbing behavior. As Laura tries to understand Simón's increasingly malevolent actions, she becomes drawn into the house's terrifying secrets.

My Two Cents:
Being an orphan at an early age must be tough, and living in an orphanage for the disabled must be even tougher. This is where Laura (Belén Rueda) grew up, although she didn’t seen to have any physical limitations. Perhaps this is why she was adopted before all the rest. Many years later, now an adult, Laura buys the abandoned house that used to be her orphanage. Along with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) and their adopted son Simón (Roger Príncep) they start a new life near an old lighthouse.

Simón is seriously ill, and doesn’t know he’s adopted. Laura and Carlos love him more than anything and take great care of him. Even so, Simón, as many children, has imaginary friends. In time Simón starts talking to more and more imaginary friends, until Laura finally sees one of them, her son Simón disappears and a terrible chain of events begin to send her into desperation and psychological nightmare.

I think the movie’s plot is pretty sweet. Orphanages have been portrayed as creepy places before, and although this one is nice-looking, it holds many dark and disturbing secrets beneath its walls. I guess you could say this is a ghost movie, but the “ghosts” look solid and can be heard walking around, inside the freaking walls.



I got creeped out pretty good through 2/3 of the movie, with one Poltergeist-ish scene topping them all. By the third act, when Laura finally starts connecting the dots about the orphanage’s mystery, the creepiness fades a little and things start getting more confusing. By the ending I had too many questions that went unanswered. I usually have no problem with reaching my own conclusions, and actually like to be teased by the writers, but I suffered throughout the whole movie with Laura and couldn’t quite tell what happened at the end. It’s not that I couldn’t enjoy the film because of this, not at all.

The acting was great, as the art direction and general mood. I suggest you watch El Orfanato before Hollywood “recreates” it with an American version. Maybe they’ll do a good job, but I doubt they’ll top the original. Good creepy fun.

Score: