The Orphanage

"What is the time, Mister Wolf?"

Many of us, no doubt, have chanted that seemingly innocuous-sounding line at some point during our childhood, amongst games of goli and hopscotch. After watching The Orphanage (or El Orfanato), the game takes an entirely new meaning altogether.

The Orphanage is a horror film directed by Juan Antonio Bayona and produced by Guillermo del Toro (Mimic, Hellboy, Blade II). I'm not exactly sure if it's Bayona's first attempt at what looks like a large budget film (i.e., I was too lazy to plug his name into Wiki), but I have to say, it's awesome.

Firstly, I watched the film less than 24 hours after watching Be Kind Rewind, so I was already quite pleased with my cinematic experiences for the week. Not totally satisfied, but pleased nontheless. The Orphanage was the girlfriend's pick, and a big, big, big part of me (no, not that part) has to thank her for a great choice.

If any of you have watched the film Hide and Seek, starring Robert de Niro and Dakota "Big Eyes" Fanning, you'd have been introduced to the concept of a sinister imaginary friend in a household as a villian of sorts. Like Hide and Seek, "of sorts" is the key term here. I can't really reveal more without spoiling anything for those of you who I'd advise to catch it (i.e. most of you), so I'll leave it at that. That aside, it seems like every section of the story-telling process fits together almost perfectly, with elements of gore, horror, suspense, drama, comedy and feel-good factor woven together in a masterful manner.

Now, the closest thing I've seen to a Spanish film before this one would probably be The Mask of Zorro, and that had Catherine Zeta Jones almost nude and fancy fight scenes. No nudity or fight sequences in The Orphanage, but I have to say that it's one of the few horror films that doesn't depend on shock factor to wow audiences. There are segments of the film where I was genuinely holding my breath, on the edge of my seat, thinking to myself, "What the fuck, what the fuck, WHAT THE FUCK is that?!?!?" and trust me, there are at least two instances where you feel that the plot seems to be taking a turn towards idiocy, but is then saved by a brilliant twist.

Plot holes. None that I can see. Excellent. Soundtrack, also close to none, which serves its purpose at least as much as the amazing job that the lead actress Belen Rueda does portraying a mother looking for her son.

The ending had some in tears, though I half-predicted it after a certain scene between Rueda and her on-screen husband, but nevertheless, it has neither the weakness of I Am Legend or the ambiguity of Cloverfield, leaving most happy, yet sad. Yes, sad ending. Prepare for it, guys and gals.

In closing, I'll have to give The Orphanage a really high rating, possibly full marks. It definitely beats Be Kind Rewind, which in itself wasn't a bad movie by far, and got me laughing out loud more than any other film I've seen recently.

5/5? Perhaps.