Strange things have been happening in the hulking and isolated Gothic mansion where a mother, father and young son have taken residence. "The Orphanage" ("El Orfanato") is much more than a simple tale of things that go bump in the night. It is the rare horror film that breaks your heart even as it makes it race. It’s a ghost story, and a scary one at that, but it’s also a tale of maternal instinct, obsessive at times.
"The Orphanage" is an effective mixture of horror and fantasy, with the supernatural bleeding into dreams that teeter on the brink of reality. It employs a similar, although not identical, approach to the one that marked 2006’s late-year success, "Pan’s Labyrinth." It should come as no surprise that filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, the director of "Pan’s Labyrinth," has lent his support to ’The Orphanage,’ allowing the opening credits and poster art to state "Presented by Guillermo del Toro." So his shadow looms large over the film and one can acknowledge that director J.A. Bayona and screenwriter Sergio G. Sanchez have learned well from him as they proceed down this unusual path.
As with most ghost stories, this one is more unsettling than genuinely frightening, and there is no gore to speak of. The scares are often in the nature of strange noises from behind sealed-off walls and odd apparitions appearing in the distance. Labeling "The Orphanage" as a horror film, while accurate, is almost unfair. There’s nothing in this movie to connect it with the popular, graphic entries that have come to dominate the genre. This movie relies on growing tension, mystery, and the possibility that supernatural forces may be at work to achieve its storytelling power.
The film’s acting anchor is Belén Rueda, a popular Spanish television actress who is receiving her first international exposure. As Laura, she is amazing, displaying a variety of reactions believably and drawing us in so we see things from her perspective. For Laura, "The Orphanage" becomes a gradual journey from skepticism to faith as she surrenders her doubts about the supernatural and gives up everything in her quest to find her son. In the end, nothing else matters, and her solution to a seemingly intolerable situation illustrates the depth of her love. In this difficult role, Rueda is never anything less than convincing.
Infused by a palpable sense of mounting dread like "Pan’s Labyrinth,"
the film deals in such emotional themes as faith and love, but its chills, jolts and disturbances dominate to rattle and unsettle audiences. It exceeds our expectations of a haunted house horror flick, featuring some truly harrowing moments. The terror builds slowly, even somberly, which adds to the powerful aura of menace. The story-book allusions to "Peter Pan" and lost children work effectively to create a resonant subtext.
An elegantly mounted, surprisingly humane but terrifying thriller, the spell it casts early does not evaporate until the epilogue is finished. "The Orphanage" is rated R and has a running time of one hour, 40 minutes. It is in Spanish with English subtitles.
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Date and Time
Friday Apr 25, 2008 Monday Apr 28, 2008
April 25th & 28th at 7pm
Sunday, April 27th at 2pm
Location
Smith Opera House82 Seneca StGeneva, NY
Fees/Admission
$5 general admission$3 students & senior citizens
Website
Contact Information
315-781-LIVE (5483) or toll-free 866-355-LIVE (5483)
