[favabeans]

The Orphanage

7/10

Positives: The particularly heart busting basement scene (if you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about). Cinematography was rather stunning, and Belen Rueda carried the film very well. I also found the soundtrack to be beautiful, and subtly chilling.

Negatives: Everything inbetween. I couldn't help but feel dissapointed when the screen faded to black. If I were to have written a list of paranormal/ghost horror conventions before viewing, I think I could have ticked off a good 70%. From the standard paranormal investigator scene to the disbelieving husband, this film wasn't much by way of original in my view. Also, the father character was pretty naff, and mostly because he was given next to nothing as far as development goes. The horror element was barely there, not that this brings the film down - it was just marketted in a way that suggested a lot more of it. I also found that it tripped at the final hurdle - with end scene after end scene after end scene, being a little more concise wouldn't have hurt.

So, over all, The Orphanage is good for what it is, but I wouldn't expect anything special.