The Orphanage
Release Date:
December 28, 2007
Limited release
Movie of the Day for Thursday, November 29, 2007
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On the Big Board |
Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
61/98 |
David Mumpower |
I thought the idea was creepy and understood the buzz but I found the exercise too artificial in execution. |
To lend a bit of credence to this movie's creepy nature, Guillermo del Toro will attach his name as "Presenter" to this foreign piece that is set to hit North American theaters just ahead of the deadline for awards consideration.
The movie stars Belén Rueda (The Sea Inside) as a woman who has purchased her childhood orphanage, a place she remembers fondly, with plans to rework it as a home for disabled children. When she and her son arrive at the deserted location, her son's imagination takes flight. At first she is pleased at the expansion of his fanciful nature, but soon becomes disturbed as his game with an imaginary friend begins to become disturbing. Believing her family to be threatened, she brings in a group of parapsychologists to help unravel the orphanage's mystery.
The Orphanage was nominated for a number of Barcelona Film Awards, and has gained some momentum after screenings at Cannes and the Toronto Film Festival. It will hope to follow in the footsteps of Pan's Labyrinth, though it doesn't appear to have quite the same accessibility. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
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