dishmanl

Now this is downright rude: Orfanato, El 2007 (The Orphanage) is an outstanding film. Yet, I hesitate to recommend it and that galls me. Hollywood offers what I consider to be uber-violent trash. Anyway you Saw it, even on Friday the 13th, a Hostel is just another Chainsaw Massacre in Texas. Some imported flicks are equally violent and sadly waste good story and/or characters for heaps of blood, guts, gore, etc.

"The Orphanage" is mild by comparison but it presents troubling themes – harm to children and suicide.

Director Juan Antonio Bayona subtly leads, letting viewers observe an old orphanage and some of its inhabitants. Ah: the house, the outdoors and sky are wonderfully black, gray and white. A small item of plot arrives courtesy of an observer. The film moves to modern day where the deliciously Gothic building now belongs to a former occupant, her husband and their adopted little boy. A beautiful abandoned lighthouse peers over its realm from atop a nearby suitably rocky cliff. The surf of this coastal setting crashes menacingly, lapping at the entrance to a cave to be explored. A party honors special needs children similar to those to be given haven in this restored house but the festivities are interrupted by the beginning of a delicious ghost story. From there to the imminently satisfying last scene, the tension mounts, the protagonist suffers a loss and the filmic journey suffers not one misstep. Director Bayona, the photographers and production designers combine classic horror items and throw in a few quirks. Some incidental items are strongly colored amidst all the gray. Ominous skies and sound design immerse in atmosphere. Actress Belin Rueda is Laura, a woman wanting to honor her childhood by helping other children. She is a quiet presence able to convey much with just a gesture, a flash of eye or a mouth movement. The rest of the cast ably supports Sra Rueda. How wonderful it is that the screenplay from Sergio Sanchez receives such professional treatment. Somehow no Hollywood committee, marketer or focus group befoul the flick. We owe Producer and Presenter Guillermo del Toro a debt of gratitude for bringing this Spanish wonder to the states. "The Orphanage" is a sad story of loss and betrayal deliciously presented and offered to anyone willing to brave the premise. This is a first class cinematic horror story.

Anyone ignoring evolution will be hard pressed to explain the talent of George Clooney. Perhaps they should at least look at the progression of his career. Either way, another film arrives to convince any skeptics that Clooney can pick, support and shine in good projects.

Michael Clayton is the product of screenwriter Tony Gilroy, most recently famous for the Bourne movie adaptations. Gilroy has created a group of compellingly watchable, flawed characters. He added spicy quirks, corporate intrigues, questionable motives and enough tangles to match Gideon's knot. Audiences are challenged without feeling overwhelmed. The story is worth every twist and turn. Gilroy also directed with a very effective, sure, delicate touch. What is more remarkable is that Gilroy has never directed a film - natural talent here.

Producer-director Sidney Pollack acts here as head of Clayton's huge law firm. Tom Wilkinson is the firm's special counsel defending a huge agribusiness conglomerate in a long gestating class action lawsuit, but his sanity is vanishing. The conglomerate is headed by Ken Howard and corporate counsel Tilda Swinton. Add family, coworkers and mix well. Additionally, Tilda Swinton's acting could be a class study in subtlety - this is definitely Oscar territory. Every performance is the top of its game, all led by George Clooney as the law firm's Mr. Fixit.

OK, I'm a nut for well-produced, appropriate soundtracks and James Newton Howard delivers, supporting the film with compelling but never intrusive melodies.

Michael Clayton's settings, photography and editing are nearly flawless.

Michael Clayton answers any studio cynic who insists that only mindless filmed leftovers, sequels and remakes can reach audiences. This film filled half the auditorium at an early Sunday screening in North Texas - another remarkable achievement.

Occasionally, a film's trailer gives viewers a realistic preview. Such was the case with "Underdog". Here is a film with humor offered without the condescension and knowing winks delivered by Dreamworks Animation and its ilk. The story is a typical zap-the-hero setup and does not pretend to be otherwise.

The actors (human and animal alike) deliver professional performances. Peter Dinklage is delicious as the requisite mad scientist. James Belushi is surprisingly effective and believable as the dad. Unfortunately, Patrick Warburton has descended from acceptably quirky into shtick. Newcomer Alex Neuberger (in his second feature) gives his part a nice emotional balance and doesn't overplay his sidekick work.

The animal animation is nicely handled and devoid of gimmickry. This part of the movie industry deserves praise for continued development and polish.

Summers have blockbusters created by and viewed by blocks; Underdog reminds audiences that a simple, fun flick can be far more entertaining.