**1/2 - In this 2007 Spanish-made film, a pair of wealthy do-gooders move to a huge estate out in the country that used to be an orphanage (where, by the way, the female lead grew up) along with their young HIV-positive adoptive son in order to start some kind of care facility for spastics and disableds. However, their selfish and neglectful behavior at some kind of abhorrent re-re party that they throw in honor of their decision to adopt a bunch of mongoloids results in their son wandering off somewhere with his imaginary friends who turn out to be not so imaginary after all. A year long search ensues that involves police, investigators, mediums, some old lady with gigantic glasses, and a huge fat guy who claims to be some sort of paranormal detective or something. Things happen, people are hit by cars, other people fall down staircases, spooky noises are rampant, long dormant secrets are revealed, and then the conclusion drops like an anchor onto the head of poor Wyle E Coyote, leaving the viewer feeling somewhat cheated. I guess I can’t say that this is a bad film. It is decently written up until the end, the acting seems at least passable, the direction is competent, and the scenery is quite nice, but it sure was dull. It is, on the bright side, a film that thankfully never really went for cheap frights, and instead relied on creating a creepy atmosphere, which was fairly well achieved. I wouldn’t really call it a horror film, though. It’s more of a supernatural drama.
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