Belén Rueda is the incomparable centerpiece of this elegant film

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2010)

I'm not familiar with this actress. I know more about the director who is first rate. But I found myself happily swimming in this woman's screen presence. She's older than most film heroines, but she must have moved mountains when she was younger. Now she's merely irresistible. Here she has to deal with an adopted child who suddenly takes off during a birthday party. Laura has moved back to the orphanage of her youth but it's not quite the idyllic retreat she thought it would be. She's married with child and more vulnerable than she realizes.
The house and its environs are worth noting in their own right. They make your stay worthwhile for their style and classiness. But by far the best part of this movie is the lead actress who effortlessly runs through one harrowing incident after another, winning our affection throughout.