| Alison Emm went to see Spanish horror flick The Orphanage |
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The title and suggestion of horror immediately conjures images of abuse, torture and evil pranks, a playground for wicked deeds. Or is that just my unsophisticated mind? Opening with a group of children playing the Spanish equivalent of “What’s the time Mr. Wolf?” we see the place as it was in days past. A place of fun and friendship - not the archaic torture chamber for the young as I’d originally feared. We see a child getting adopted, warm and fuzzy feelings are at the forefront and the story has begun. Skip to some years later and said lucky ex-resident, Laura, moves with her husband and son back to the now desolate but beautiful building. She plans to re-open it as an orphanage for disabled children, to give a little back. Still all warm and fuzzy but the dusty rooms hint at something else. Her son, Simon, is a happy child who is doted on. He does however come into the story with a couple of imaginary friends. It’s when he acquires a handful more at their new residence that you start to wonder if he is just imaginative or if he can see something that the adult eye cannot. Things then become a little hairier with the introduction of a child in a sack mask and a musty looking, bespectacled social worker with an unusual interest in Simon. The games begin and challenges and puzzles are set. The rest of the film plays out as a thriller with horrifying potential and asks the viewer’s mind to race through every eventuality. It is the chemistry between mother and son which makes the film. Nothing grates more than a precocious child actor with big eyes who overenunciates every damn word with no concept of what they mean. Thankfully, our hero in this film (yes, the hero in my mind is the child) is excellent and although he has cute curls and big eyes, they aren’t his only selling point. The central cast is small but well chosen, drawing you into the story, you come to care about the characters. There are definite signs of influence from the producer, Guillermo del Toro (director of Pan’s Labyrinth) but The Orphanage is a mature directorial debut from Juan Antonio Bayona. As an idea it is not the most groundbreaking in itself but he has worked a kind of magic. The audience is held fast with a strong plot and there is a subtle yet constant emphasis on the contrast between the haunting images and the beautiful scenery. The climaxes are built upon suspense rather than relying on special effects. It is a rare film that can entertain you and provoke emotions on so many levels; this is the first horror movie that has had me sobbing in my chair at the end. Not to say that everyone in the cinema was affected the same way, but maybe that is the beauty of this particular beast. Comment (0)  Send to friend  Print  Add to Facebook  Socialise
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Horror films are a masochistic escapism; they don’t fall out of favour because there is a great thrill in being scared. Within the genre there are the gory, mutilation-heavy shockfests such as Freddy Kreuger, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hostel, to name but a few. Then there are the more subtle ones that play on your inner fears.