FOREIGN FEATURE: The Orphanage

The Orphanage (El Orfanato)

Rated R

Running Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Cast:

Belen Rueda
Fernando Cayo
Roger Princep
Mabel Rivera

Critical consensus :

***1/2 out of *****

My consensus:

***** out of *****

The premise:

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

My review:

The Orphanage (El Orfanato) is actually the first completely foreign film I've ever seen. It hails from Spain. Apparently, I've been missing out. The Orphanage is a beautiful looking suspense film. It is technically classified as a horror movie, but there are no "horror" qualities in this movie. It is pure and utter suspense. Most of the film, in fact, is build up to a very tense and excellent final act. There are minimal to no jump scenes that I can recall. The filmmakers rely almost solely on haunting sound effects and chilling camera effects to make the audience uncomfortable enough to be completley satisfied by the creepy final twenty minutes. For a movie in this genre, it has a solid and simple story that in the end, does not disappoint. Performances, especially by Belen Rueda are top notch.

My advice: See it!

*This movie is now on DVD.