DVD
REVIEW: THE ORPHANAGE
04/20/08
SYNOPSIS: A woman
discovers dark secrets hidden within her cherished childhood
home in the supernatural drama THE ORPHANAGE, the feature
film debut of acclaimed young Spanish director Juan Antonio
Bayona. A superbly atmospheric and emotionally powerful tale
of love, loss and guilt, THE ORPHANAGE is the first film
ever to be presented by Academy Award®- nominated filmmaker
Guillermo del Toro, who also produced. Bayona and the gifted
first-time screenwriter Sergio Sánchez deliver an elegant,
shivery ghost story in the tradition of such classics as THE
INNOCENTS, THE HAUNTING and THE OTHERS as they explore the
shadowy places where human longing meets the unknown and
unknowable. Anchoring the film is the fearless performance
by its star, award-winning Spanish actress Belén Rueda (THE
SEA INSIDE),
portraying a mother desperate to rescue her family from the
nightmare into which she has unwittingly led them. THE
ORPHANAGE is a film about the fragility of life, the agony
of loss and the depth of a mother’s love
REVIEW: When it
comes to mystery and thriller films it is very difficult to
find one that actually sticks in your mind and make you
think twice the next time you are trying to turn on the
bathroom lights in the middle of the night. Finally after
years of looking and waiting Guillermo Del Toro brought us
"The Orphanage". A film that will test your mind tension
levels. "The Orphanage" will be released on April 22, 2008,
just in time to get ready for this years' summer blockbuster
movies.
After watching so many B thriller/horror remakes and so many
non-sense horror films in the past years, it was very
rewarding to find a film like "The Orphanage". I didn't have
the opportunity to watch this film when it was released in
theaters back on December 28, 2007 and I totally regret not
taking the time to enjoy this thrill ride on the big screen.
That's why I consider myself one of those who thought that
this film was just another Pan's Labyrinth with a little
more scary scenes, but I was wrong.
This is a film that totally
captures your senses submerging you into the world of
tension like only very few films can do. "The Orphanage" is
a ghost story, but not just another ghost story. It is a
well crafted supernatural thriller that don't disappoints at
the end. Which makes the screenplay a true mind blowing
masterpiece. New comer writer Sergio G. Sánchez just put his
name out as one of the best young screenplay writers. But
not only Sergio gets all the credit for this film,
Juan Antonio Bayona's
vision for this movie could not have been better.
There is not much that can
be said about this film without giving out the story. Just
do yourself a favor and don't talk to anybody about this
film until you have seeing it. If you are looking for gory
scenes, definitely this is not the film for you. It is just
pure psychological horror.
"The Orphanage" just
adds more to Guillermo Del Toro resume's now as a producer
and introduce to the world the new blood of Spanish
filmmakers.
Overall this is a film that beautifully
demonstrates that supernatural thrillers can be intelligent
and rewarding at the end.
VIDEO:
2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
AUDIO:
Spanish
Dolby Digital 5.1 EX Surround Sound - Spanish 2.0 Stereo
Surround
Subtitles -
English and Spanish
subtitles (not available on all special features)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“When Laura Grew Up: Constructing The Orphanage”
featurette:
An inside look at the making of the film featuring
commentaries from the director, producers and cast about the
film. (17:37)
"Tomas" Secret Room
(The Filmmakers): This featurette is divided in five
part. It reveals the secrets on how the film was made,
from the filmmakers, to the music, to the special effects.
(10:17)
“Horror in the Unknown:
Make-Up” featurette: Montse Ribe and David
Marti talk about how it was working with Director J. A. Bayona
and how the special effects were used in this film. (9:22)
“Rehearsal Studio”
– Director
J. A. Bayona with the cast during rehearsals (3:43)
Video segments about the
filmmakers
Still gallery
RATING BREAK DOWN:
| FILM REVIEW |
|
|
VIDEO |
|
|
AUDIO |
|
| BONUS
FEATURES |
 |
Submit Your Movie Review
MORE MOVIE REVIEWS
>>>
