The Masterpiece That Is The Orphanage

I just returned from seeing the latest movie from the incredibly talented Guillermo del Torro, The Orphanage. This is the same film maker that brought us the wonderful tale of Pan's Labyrinth. del Torro is quickly becoming one of my favorite film makers. This is a man who knows how to tell a story and how to build the atmosphere around it with every single shot. While there's some question as to exactly how much, if any, of this movie is actually his work, its look and feel fit what I expected. I knew from the opening credits that we were in for a great ride.

What I didn't realize was just how engrossed I'd become with this movie. It's essentially the tale of a woman who, as a child, is brought up in a well-run orphanage. We don't get all the details but it's clear that her memories are full of positive experiences. When the opportunity arises much later in life to buy the orphanage she and her husband gladly move there with their young son, Simon, to re-open it to children of need. Their son is fairly typical for an only-child and has a cadre of imaginary friends. The trouble is that now in the orphanage the latest of these has driven Simon into disturbing behavior. The movie takes off from there to follow that tale to its wondrous conclusion.

The film is rated "R" almost entirely for shear violence but we still risked it and took my nearly 13 year-old and he too was mesmerized by it. Yes, it's foreign. As with "Labyrinth", it's in Spanish with English subtitles but you won't care after the first two minutes. The plot starts out slowly, but not too slowly, and continually builds the tension. This movie never falters by cheating with the story. There's nothing here to feel let down about. It shows once again that a wonderful story doesn't need incredible special effects or gimmicks.

Is it a horror movie? Not really. That's not to say it won't scare the pants off you. I was on the edge of my seat several times. It also packs a couple of jarring scenes that remind you that it has the power to frighten you at will. Many might have been happy with just that but this movie is a fairytale of classic proportions. It's so much deeper than the cheap thrill of a quick pay-off.

By the end of it I was, yet again, completely moved to tears and wonderment over the beautiful telling of a tremendous story. Bravo!