The Orphanage (2007) (El Orfanato)

“El Orfanato” is a film debut of Spanish film director Juan Antonio Bayona. The film was produced by his good friend Guillermo del Toro. “The Orphanage” has some similarity with Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”, but it has more elements of horror.

The film grips from the start and keeps viewers tense till the end. The scenes are well-paced and each scene makes viewers to expect something bad. Three things that make a great film are all present in “The Orphanage”. The director has done a marvelous job. The performances, especially Belén Rueda’s acting, are excellent. But more importantly, the story itself is great and incredible. The story makes film not just a horror film, but, sad and heartbreaking story of mother. It takes place in Spain.

Laura (Belén Rueda) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) together with their seven-year-old adopted son, Simon move to the house of her childhood – orphanage, where she lived until her adoption. She wants to reopen orphanage for disabled children. But soon we find out that this is not an ordinary house.

Everything that makes a perfect horror house is present in this film; ghosts of children, cracking floors and doors and other strange noises. The combination of these stuff and other clever directorial maneuvers build the tension up throughout the film. I do not want to tell more about the film, because it is better to watch it without any idea what will happen to the characters.

I enjoyed "The Orphanage" very much and it left a lasting impression on me. You will definitely enjoy this film, but if you do not like horror films, then it is not for you. It is better watch something else.

Reviewer’s rating: 8.5 out of 10

Oldboy (2003)

It is a South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook based on Japanese manga. I love films like “Sin city”, “V for Vendetta” based on graphic novels, comics and manga and I loved this one too for its format. But it is important to acknowledge that this film is weird, unusual and a little bit sick.

The story turns around Oh Dae-su, Korean businessmen, who is kidnapped and locked in a room without explanation for 15 years. He has a TV in his room. While watching it he finds out that his wife is killed and his little daughter is sent for adoption. In these first scenes we pity Oh Dae-su and want him out in order to revenge for his life that was taken from him.

After he is set free he meets young chef Mi-do in restaurant. He falls unconscious and Mi-do brings him to her home. She helps him to find the place he was kept captive. Later, we find out that Oh Dae-su’s captor is a man named Woo-jin who attended the same school with Oh Dae-su.

Oh Dae-su remembers Woo-jin and his sister. At school after witnessing their incestuous interaction through the hole in the window, Oh Dae-su inadvertently started rumors about Woo-jin’s sister and transferred to another school. Because of rumours and visible signs of pregnancy, she committed suicide.

Here, we look at the story from the opposite side. We see a brother and a lover suffering and mourning for sister and lover. The role and emotions are perfectly delivered by the actor. His feelings seem so real that you almost forget how sick his relationship and revenge actually are. When at last Oh Dae-su confronts Woo-jin, the story gets even sicker.

It is definitely not a family film and it is difficult to advise whether to watch it or not. You should decide for yourself.

Reviewer's rating: 7.5 out of 10

Inception (2010)

This is another 2010 film with ambiguous ending. I enjoyed watching it, though went back to the film and studied final scenes all over again to finally accept the truth.

Entering subconscious minds through dreams and “extract”ing important information is a cool and great idea for film. Scenario of film was written by Christopher Nolan, director of film. One might get easily confused counting dreams in dreams, but not the writer. Nolan wrote the script for almost a decade. He clearly and beautifully delivered Inception as he knew what it is all about.

Film characters, Dom Cobb and his friend Arthur are professional thieves - extractors. Each mind-spy has a “totem”, small object that helps them determine whether they are in somebody’s dream. Cobb’s object is a spinning top. His wife Mal’s memory disturbs him frequently in his dreams and spoils his efforts of extraction. Lovely, sexy, beautiful Marion Cotillard stars as Mal.

Cobb takes the last extraction offer of performing ‘inception’ from wealthy Mr.Saito (Ken Watanabe). Saito promises to use his contacts to clear Cobb of the murder charges for his wife’s death. It will allow Cobb to return to the United States and reunite with his children. In return Mr. Saito asks to enter the mind of his competitor’s son who will inherit the vast energy company and plant in him the idea of breaking up the company.

They sedate their target during the long flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and build a three-level shared dream. This is where story gets complicated. I loved the idea of ‘militarized subconscious’ – subconscious trained to find and kills extractors. Going into limbo upon death in the dream is interesting as well.

Though team accomplishes the task and plant the idea in target’s mind, Saito gets killed inside the dream and Cobb searches for Saito in limbo. He finds old Saito who has been waiting in limbo for decades and brings him back.

Extractors awaken on the flight. Cobb returns to United States and turns his spinning top to check reality. But he cannot see the result as he gets distracted by his children, inviting the speculation on whether the final scene was reality or another dream. It is up to viewer to decide.

I am positive about Inception. It is a nice evening watch in the company of friends and family.

Reviewer's rating: 8.5 out of 10

Limitless (2011)

I have just watched “Limitless”, film directed by Neil Burger. It is a crazy film about drug addiction, drug-chasing and drug-dealing. It is not a boring and not a deep film. It does not leave lasting impressions, but it is interesting to watch.

Main character, Edward Morra, is a writer whose girlfriend dumps him in the beginning of story. His life is one big mess. He fails with deadlines of his new book. His flat is unclean and messy, just like him. It is here, he meets his ex-brother-in-law Vernon Grant. Vernon gives Eddie one tablet of a new drug called NZT. Well, it is not just a drug; it provides access to 100 % of the brain power. Thanks to this drug, he finishes his book extremely fast in a short time.

Later he finds Vernon dead in his flat, searches his flat for drug and finds stash of NZT. Edward understands that there are no limits to his ability and abandons his writing career. He starts trading stocks. He becomes rich and gets back together with Lindy. He takes more and more NZT for fast learning and thinking. But nothing comes without side effects. Soon, his memory starts to fail, and he becomes frenetic.

His ex-wife Melissa, who also was an NZT-addict, warns him about major health problems in case of withdrawal from NZT. He manages to consume drug in an average level, assists his new boss in making an important deal, and gets away from murder charges and also from Russian thug Gennady.

As usual for these types of films, a year later we see Eddie, in a better position, running for the United States Senate. While refusing Carl’s (Robert De Niro) offer of an unlimited NZT, Eddie mentions that he no longer needs the drug. He says that modified version of drug has helped him to come off the drug, though in the last scene of film  he speaks Chinese with waiter  and it is left unclear (as it is fashionable nowadays) whether he uses NZT or not.

Bradley Cooper plays his role very well. He changes his attitude a couple of times throughout the film and becomes a new person each time. Cooper delivers it flawlessly. He makes the film a nice watch.

Reviewer's rating: 7.0 out of 10

Shutter Island (2010)

In my opinion, this is one of the best films from Leonardo Dicaprio. But that is partly because of Martin Scorsese who flawlessly directed Shutter Island and because of Dennis Lehane who wrote the same name novel. This film has all three things that make a great film: experienced (and talented) director, talented actor and catching story.

It takes place in 1954 on Shutter Island in Boston harbor. US marshal Edward “Teddy” Daniels arrives at the Ashecliffe hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island with his newly assigned partner Chuck Aule to investigate disappearance of a patient. Throughout the film, viewer is perfectly fed with the details of story and has no suspicion of what will come next. The ending is unexpected and unbelievable. Somehow you want to believe in conspiracy rather than reality.

As soon as truth was out, my mind went back to the beginning of story and tried to analyze every little detail to find out whether marshal is sane in reality. Edward’s partner turned out to be his doctor –Dr. Sheehan and Andrew Laedis, who he searched for throughout the film and blamed in his wife - Dolores’ death, is actually Edward himself.

Doctors explain that Edward went through repeating cycles of realization of truth. Whole this investigation was part of an experimental therapy and another attempt to help him realize the truth.  I believed Andrew when he protested violently to doctor’s explanations only to realize that doctors are right. This is where Leonardo must be praised since he excellently delivered the scene.

After explanations, Andrew accepts the reality and blames himself for ignoring his wife’s illness until she drowned their children. Though he finally accepts the truth, he pretends that he is still into conspiracy story for his doctor and calls him Chuck. After this, hospital workers approach him to take for lobotomy. He asks his doctor whether it would be worse to "live as a monster, or die as a good man" and goes calmly with workers.

I have to say, it is an interesting and catching film that leaves ambiguous feelings. Since not every film is able to do so, it is definitely one of a kind.

Reviewer's rating: 8.5 out of 10