Orphan

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Orphan

August 7th 2009 04:03

When I first saw the trailer to Orphan (2009) for a brief moment I thought it was going to be a Hollywood remake of the excellent Spanish ghost flick The Orphanage. As it turns out The Orphanage is getting remade by Hollywood, but it wasn’t this flick.

From a story by Alex Mace, screen-written by David Johnson, and directed by ex-pat Spaniard Jaume Collet-Serra who made the utterly forgettable remake House of Wax (2005), Orphan tells the tale of husband and wife, John (Peter Sarsgaard) and Kate Coleman (Vera Furmiga), their two children, eight-year-old Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) and four-year-old Max (Aryana Engineer), and their newly adopted daughter Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman). Kate had a stillborn child and hasn’t quite recovered emotionally or psychologically from the experience. Esther is a very bright, but unusual Russian nine-year-old.

Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther

Very quickly Esther proves to her new family (well, everyone except clueless dad), that she’s not the little angel she seemed to be when John and Kate first met her at the Sisters’ orphanage. She can paint very well indeed (that particular talent proves to be very telling much later in the movie), but she indulges Kate’s piano lessons when in fact she can nail Tchaikovsky very well. Nasty things start to happen, and Kate becomes increasingly concerned about the state of Esther’s mind. It seems everyone gives Esther the benefit of the doubt, except Kate. Of course, Kate had a drinking problem and is fragile, so of course her side of the story has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Vera Furmiga as Kate

Adorable Max is hearing impaired and very impressionable and Esther swiftly manipulates the young girl. Esther treats Daniel as an obstacle that needs to be removed, she leaves John for the moment as he suspects nothing, but Sister Abagail (CCH Pounder) is a problem, and of course there’s Kate. Eventually Esther’s dark secret is revealed, which is a twist that I saw coming, although not quite what I had guessed.

Peter Sarsgaard as John

What lifts Orphan’s game is the mostly excellent acting, especially Vera Furmiga, Isabelle Furhman, and newcomer Aryana Engineer (despite her real-life hearing disability Aryana will be a name and face to watch, she’s that good). Peter Sarsgaard is disappointing, which is shame. I don’t think he’s ever bettered his amazing performance in Boys Don’t Cry.

Orphan Aryana Engineer, Michael Bennett, Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Furmiga, Isabelle Fuhrman

One big happy family ... not

Director Collet-Serra has made a very competent horror-thriller, with some truly dark, almost perverse elements, but he relies way too heavily on clichéd “Boo!” shocks, especially those ones where the music sets up a scare, then nothing happens only to have the same thing a little further on but this time deliver the fright. Orphan is littered with these and they soon become a little tedious. There’s also the “classic” false ending, but Kate gets the best and last line.

Orphan Isabelle Furmiga, Aryana Engineer

Esther blackmails poor Max

If the acting and intriguing premise weren’t so effective Orphan would be run-of-the-mill, but thankfully the production values add oomph, and the moments of violence are actually rather shocking. Orphan is every mother’s worst nightmare, and I wouldn’t recommend any pregnant women seeing the movie; the opening sequence will most surely give any expectant mother bad dreams indeed.

Here's the trailer:

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Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

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Comments

5 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Natalina

August 7th 2009 04:39

My Life My Muse
Beta Girl Blog

I'm seeing this tomorrow... I'll let you know what I think. I thought that the trailer looked promising, and creepy children always manage to give me chills.

Comment by Christopher Waldeck

August 12th 2009 02:49

Dunk Films

I agree with you about Peter Sarsgaard in this film, however I think it was because of the way his character was played out that we didn't like him as much as we usually do. he was meant to look like an idiot in this part which I think was a bit of a problem.

Comment by Bryn

August 12th 2009 04:10

Horrorphile

Chris, I quite agree. I didn't like that he was so clueless, as a narrative ploy it didn't work for me, especially since the wife was really quite smart, I didn't believe she'd be with such a guileless, sycophant.

Comment by JohnDoe

August 28th 2009 17:20

Film & TV on DVD

Really???

This one looks and sounds so generic with a been there done that vibe ala The Bad Seed (Still my favourite psycho kid film)

Your favourable review may just mean I will check it out sometime...though Im still in no hurry.