Stunning...

Rating: 10/10 (23 November 2008)

Some of the finest fright films are deeply moving. Can one help but feel for Chaney, Sr., as either Eric, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, or Quasimodo, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME? What about KING KONG (in any version, including the often laughable De Laurentis entry)? Recently, of course, movies like 28 DAYS LATER, THIRTY DAYS OF NIGHT and THE MIST (among others) have proved emotionally powerful and dramatically satisfying. Now comes THE ORPHANAGE, with one of the saddest of happy endings I've ever seen in my life. I don't think I've cried this much since I saw THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD (which, for my money, is hands-down the greatest love story ever made). What a directorial debut! If Bayona can top this one, he's in a very select company, indeed.