FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: The Orphanage [DVD] [2007]

The Orphanage [DVD] [2007]
enlarge	Director: Juan Antonio Bayona Actors: Belen Rueda, Geraldine Chaplin, Fernando Cayo Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy New: £3.40 as of 25/11/2009 20:59 GMT details You Save: £16.59 (83%) New (29) Used (20) from £3.40 Seller: mrhappy2008 Rating: 72 reviews Sales Rank: 1426 Format: Box set, PAL Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1 Number Of Discs: 2 Running Time: 102 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5055201803207 ASIN: B0019GJ3WU Theatrical Release Date: 2007 Release Date: July 21, 2008 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review Backed by Guillermo del Toro and yet made by a surprisingly inexperienced group of film makers (especially considering the end result), IThe Orphanage/I is a chilling, tense supernatural thriller that could certainly teach more established directors a thing or two about how to send shivers down the spine. p It tells the story of a woman, Laura, returning to the orphanage where she was raised as a child. Her plans are to look after sick children there, but it doesn't take long for things to go awry. Without giving too much away, visions from her past and a threat to her own family are the starting points for a complex and quite haunting thriller, that stays in the mind long after the credits have rolled. p A film that works on more than one level, IThe Orphanage/I really is some piece of work. Juan Antonia Bayona, behind the camera, generates an incredibly atmospheric mood that underpins the film, and wisely takes time to put pieces in place. He's aided by a terrific cast, and an unsettling screenplay that layers in an uneasy horror that's as anti-Hollywood as it comes. p The result of all of this is one of the scariest films of recent times, and yet something that still manages to be that little bit more, that sticks in your mind for some time afterwards. Make no mistake, IThe Orphanage/I really is something different, and all the better for it. --IJon Foster/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 72 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...15 Next » Excellent Thriller from the Spanish Team October 8, 2008 Jenny J.J.I. (That Lives in Northern Nevada) 36 out of 41 found this review helpful The Orphanage, does bring sophistication in ghost stories which is rarely heard of, but Guillermo Del Toro manages to pull it off time and time again, and somehow he even managed to inject his magic into this one, which he only produced - as this very much plays out like one of his own films. Not to discredit Mr. Bayona, though, for he has done a fine job. This is a dark, powerful, and moving masterpiece that both adheres to convention and brings some new, more artistic elements to the table in the direction and storytelling. br / br /There was nothing about this film I didn't like. The acting, the thrills, the cinematography, the story, and the atmosphere. Everything was not short of sheer brilliance. The chilling moments freaked me out a couple of times, which I'm glad they did. That was what I wanted out of this film, but I was offered so much in return. Since I knew Guillermo Del Toro was involved with this project, I had a feeling it would be good. I just didn't think it would be THIS good. It was also very heart-warming, which was something I did not expect. br / br /The acting is great, Belen Rueda as Laura is magnificent. Fernando Cayo as the husband Carlos is also good; he looks like a Spanish version of Josh Lucas. The kids do a decent job. And seeing Geraldine Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's daughter) was a surprise, and she delivered an excellent performance as the 'seeing' medium. The bond that Laura, Simon, and Carlos shared is very sensitive and is carried out well throughout the movie. br / br /This is definitely one of those horror films you should see more than once. The horror films you see nowadays are weak, not scary, and most of all; not worth your time. This one is WORTH the time. Believe me, his film has absolutely everything you need to know on how to make a well-executed ghost story and more. br / Wow! If you like Pans Labrinth or Don't Look Now then this is for you! April 8, 2009 Asmodeous (North Yorkshire United Kingdom) 4 out of 4 found this review helpful This is one of the best films I have seen in a long time and perhaps the most powerful and moving. Reviewers debate whether the film is a 'horror' or not - well for me at least, I found it genuinely chilling and scary and can think of few other so called horror films that had a profound and emotional effect on me. Infact I would go as far as to say very few films have ever given me the chills - but this did. More than that I was weeping like a emotional wreck by the end. It is fortunate that the wife hates watching sub titled films so I was able to 'experience' this without the indignity of others witnessing it! br /Set in Spain and subtitled for nthe non spanish speaking, the film is a well conceived 'haunted house story' delivered in a manner similar to The Others and containing an atmospheric feel akin to the excellent Pan's Labrinth and Dont Look Now. For those who haveendured the loss or fear of losing a child - this story is both impactful and full of empathy. Carefully crafted, mature and intelligent in composition - a dark horse of a masterpiece. Supremely well acted and directed and highly recommended, Film of 2008 May 27, 2008 S. Chapman (York UK) 19 out of 25 found this review helpful Having seen The Orphanage in the cinema, I cannot wait to see it again on DVD. On the surface it is a horror/haunted house film, but for me it felt that the film was really about a mother's determination and love for her child. It is an atmospheric piece, with some genuinely scary moments, such that at some points i was hiding behind my hands in a packed cinema! But what really got under my skin was not the classic scary shocks (which are handled brilliantly) but the ever increasing tension and desperation of the search for a lost child. With a jaw-dropping and emotional conclusion that left me stunned in silence for about an hour after the film ended, this is easily the film of 2008. I have heard that the Americans are doing their own version of this film. Believe me when I say Hollywood will not do this film justice - watch this for a truly magnificant experience. A ghost story , but a very moving ghost story. August 11, 2008 russell clarke (halifax, west yorks) 6 out of 8 found this review helpful The Orphanage has been marketed as some kind of mind blowing scare-fest that will have you weeping and in need of industrial strength nappies as you evacuate your bowels with sheer terror. While it is quite spooky at times , and very tense at others it is by no means that scary and nor is it, as the marketing would suggest, a horror film. What it is .... well I would call it a fraught psychological thriller though that doesn't do it justice. Whatever you want to call it The Orphanage is beautifully crafted and ultimately incredibly moving , and that is most definitely not the usual thing for a horror film. br /Laura (Belen Rueda) was raised in an imposing large Orphanage but has now bought it along with her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) in order to do it up and use it as a specialist centre for special need kids. Their adopted son Simon( Roger Princep) wiles the time away playing with the imaginary friends he met in a cave on the nearby beach. His behaviour becomes erratic and then there's the strange old women claiming to be a social worker who visits them one day and then is discovered by Laura hanging around the grounds in the middle of the night. Then on their big open day Laura has a frightening encounter with a strangely masked small child and subsequently Simon disappears. br /The boy is sick and needs regular medication and as they search frantically for him , the days and weeks pass. Laura starts to hear things in the house , creaking and banging's. She becomes convinced there is something paranormal going on and despite Carlos's misgivings hires a medium (Geraldine Chaplin) who confirms that something is indeed amiss ands it involves children . Laura becomes ever more obsessed and frantic leading to a discovery that is both believable and utterly heartbreaking . br /The Orphanage is a brilliantly structured movie with shivery empathetic performances , especially from Belen Rueda. Writer Sergio G Sanchez ( this is his first script) and director J A Boyona( this is his first film) do a wonderful job of creating suspense and unease and while they often resort to standard ghost story tactics -big creepy house, sudden noise jolts, thunderstorms, things popping up unexpectedly - you always get the feeling there is more to this film than it just being about ghosts and so it proves. br /Two scenes in this film are quite superbly handled and the way the film accelerates towards the shocking but poignant climax is technically superb . The Orphanage is ultimately a fable (very much like producer Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth [2006]") that is about much more that it appears. It's a ghost story sure but it is also about maternal , devotion and unconditional love. It cleverly parallels traits of "Peter Pan (Penguin Popular Classics) " which is mentioned several times in the script. It is truly unforgettable and I was so choked up at the end I could,nt sleep for an hour afterwards. You might not be scared but you should be moved , something that will linger far longer than any scare boo thrill. br / br / A masterful piece of scary movie December 13, 2008 Artsreadings (Edinburgh, UK) 4 out of 5 found this review helpful If this is not a horror film, the director does nonetheless know exactly how to handle the tricks to capture the spectator's attention and make the tension reach unbearable heights. The music plays a great part in this "mise en scène" with a soundtrack which rapidly brings chiver to anyone. In addition, the photography is indeed remarkable: the settings are very favourable, and the way scenes unroll is just amazing. This film is undoubtedly worth watching. Showing reviews 1-5 of 72 1 2 3 4 5 6 ...15 Next »

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