El orfanato (2007)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Juan Antonio Bayona

Writer:

Sergio G. Sánchez (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 January 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Un cuento de amor. Una historia de terror (A tale of love. A story of horror)

Plot:

A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.

Plot Keywords:

Son | Orphanage | Children | Hiv Positive | Hiv

Awards:

31 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

Belén Rueda	...	Laura
Fernando Cayo	...	Carlos
Roger Príncep	...	Simón
Mabel Rivera	...	Pilar
Montserrat Carulla	...	Benigna
Andrés Gertrúdix	...	Enrique
Edgar Vivar	...	Prof. Leo Bálaban
Óscar Casas	...	Tomás
Mireia Renau	...	Laura niña
Georgina Avellaneda	...	Rita
Carla Gordillo	...	Martín
Alejandro Camps	...	Víctor
Carmen López	...	Alicia
Óscar Lara	...	Guillermo
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Aurora

Also Known As:

The Orphanage (UK) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing content.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Mexico | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:18A | Spain:13 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:14 | Denmark:11 | Sweden:15 | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Taiwan:R-12 | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:16 | Chile:Y7 | Malaysia:18PL | UK:15 | Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R13 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Czech Republic:12

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Esta Vivo! Laboratorio de Nuevos Talentos

Trivia:

Spain's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Laura is watching the old films, when we see one of the shots of Tomas, his eye hole is on the wrong side. In the next shot, it is on the right side again.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-01-05)" (2008)

A great suspense film

I'm a little bit tired of horror and suspense films. I had to get to the cinema because I could not say no to my girlfriend. Now I do not regret the wonderful evening I spent. This film achieved what others did not- I could not release my girlfriend's hand all over the time, and when the story finished I discovered there was nothing unexplained. A great suspense film I recommend. Belén Rueda, is a completely credible character and the place where the story has been shot helps make it realistic or, at least, the viewer gets into the environment created. The rest of actors are good and Geraldine Chaplin's scene is one of the most creepy I've ever seen