The Orphanage (Juan Antonio Bayona, 2007)

[Marcel Gioberti]

I was surprised to find no thread for this film.

Has anybody seen this? It was released on January 11th, but obviously not on many screens, probably because it's subtitled and doesn't have quite the following Pan's Labyrinth did.

I was terribly disappointed by Pan's but the trailer for this was promising.

[rohmerin]

Huge blockbuster here in Spain. The film sold more than 4 millon of entries, even more than Hollywood films.

I've not seen yet because: I hate Belén Rueda (the actress), and because all my friends went to see it and didn't like it. They said to me that it's like AMENABAR's The others, but in a bad way, and I HATE the others, so, imagine this.

Yesteday,the filmt won 7 Goya Awards but not best film, not best actress (fuck you, Belén). It won best original script...original? evebody say that it's not very original: a house, plahntoms, etc.

[domino harvey]

I can't wait for the "Spooky Kids" trope in horror movies to wind itself down

[Barmy]

I DESPISE Belén Rueda!!! How did that cow ever get someone to photograph her with a camera?? She is terrible. I did see this film and it wasn't that good.

[rohmerin]

video about last night Goyas, here

[Marcel Gioberti]

I can't wait for the "Spooky Kids" trope in horror movies to wind itself down

I only have to reply to this because I wish more people (like you) would tire of Indie Hipster films like Juno and Little Miss Sunshine.

[domino harvey]

Am I the spokesperson for Indie Hipster Films? Do I get a sash?

[Jeff]

Am I the spokesperson for Indie Hipster Films? Do I get a sash?

The sash is Tic-Tac orange and says "Little Miss Homeskillet" on it.

Why can't everyone be tired of the kind of films I don't like, and crave the kinds of films I do like? People are stupid. Fuck 'em.

Back on the subject of The Orphanage, I saw it at a festival screening several months ago. It reminded me of The Others, but wasn't as effective for me. To be honest, I remember very little about it other than a silly séance featuring Geraldine Chaplin and a somewhat anticlimactic ending. Whether you liked Pan's Labyrinth or not, it really doesn't have much in common with that film, so I wouldn't go in expecting that vibe. It must be doing decent business in Denver, because it's still playing after three weeks.

[tavernier]

What's with all the hating on Belén Rueda? Her performance is all that keeps this silly, nonsensical "horror" film from falling apart....although I do agree that she looked bovine in person after the NY film fest screening.

[Narshty]

What's with all the dismissals? I saw it earlier this evening (thankfully on the big screen) and was pleased to find it's a completely brilliant movie. It has all the scary goods where you'd want them (it's genuinely the closest I've ever come to soiling myself while watching a film and I've not seen an entire audience go berserk at key moments like that since the original Ring) and the final 15 minutes is the best part of the film and flips everything we've seen on its head to become genuinely moving. This is an awesomely fine horror film.

[LQ]

Perhaps before the mass donning of the sack masks in recent horror cinema, this would've been a bit scarier. However, I think the general population is desensitized to all things burlap. (and yes, spooky kids).
I, and the audience I saw it with, found it to be a big snore. [/i]

[Barmy]

Belén Rueda is a friggin cow (or vaca). She has ruined every movie she has been in. BLECH.

[mfunk9786]

Saw this at a sold out screening, people were falling asleep. I couldn't have been more disappointed with it considering the raves it was getting. I would elaborate, but I can't say it's memorable enough to be able to pinpoint exactly what made it so boring at this point, having seen it seven months ago.

[LQ]

Belén Rueda is a friggin cow (or vaca). She has ruined every movie she has been in.

I'm curious, why is she specifically referred to as bovine all over this thread? I've never seen her other films.

[Narshty]

So I'm the only person who liked it? I can only say it was an utter joy to be scared shitless by something non-specific rather than the threat of hideous violence (ie. Saw, Hostel, etc).

I can't understand the above reports of people falling asleep. The expected handful of twits were nattering at the start of the film but the entire audience noticeably shut the fuck up once the story proper kicked in (the only time I heard any noise after that was nervous laughter after a couple of the mightiest frights).

The script is fantastic, almost a gold standard (if your screenplay isn't up to the quality of The Orphanage, don't go into production) - about as well worked out and structured as this sort of story can be, with its own consistent internal logic and a surprisingly strong emotional kick at the end. It also reaches on just about every good situation you can have in a ghost story (just as Le Cercle Rouge has every tasty set-piece around) and managing to work it seamlessly into the structure. I'd say it's the best film I've seen this year alongside There Will Be Blood.

[mfunk9786]

This isn't a personal attack by any means, but I think the fact that you liked this and didn't like No Country for Old Men is a big indicator that your personal taste is just a total 180 from mine. I have absolutely no idea how the script for this is anything but convoluted and overwrought.

[LQ]

So I'm the only person who liked it? I can only say it was an utter joy to be scared shitless by something non-specific rather than the threat of hideous violence (ie. Saw, Hostel, etc).

I know for a fact you aren't the only person who loved it
although it did nothing for me, I'm certainly glad you got so much out of it... I could only dream of getting so much out of a horror film nowadays

[Narshty]

This isn't a personal attack by any means, but I think the fact that you liked this and didn't like No Country for Old Men is a big indicator that your personal taste is just a total 180 from mine. I have absolutely no idea how the script for this is anything but convoluted and overwrought.

I'm not the sharpest pencil in the case about seeing plot events coming in advance, which may make my opinion of the script higher than yours, but for the last 20 minutes or so, my tension-o-meter was so overloaded I got completely lost in the film.

[rohmerin]

Belen Rueda is not a vaca, but I don't like her.

For you, the non Spaniards, I'll explain that she is a TV star for 20 years. She started as hostess (azafata) on Tele 5 in 1991, and she became the Tele 5 numer 1 star in their tv series. Amenabar's OSCAR winning horrible The Sea Inside was her debut on films. El orfanato, that was the biggest hit here, was her second role.

My brother has bought the dvd, so one day of these, I'll watch the movie, because it was filmed in ASTURIAS, and I love that region.

[Barmy]

whatever, she is not recognizably human