Orphan Review

Posted by Erik Luers on 07.30.2009

Even gifted children have special needs.......

Vera Farmiga ... Kate Coleman
Peter Sarsgaard ... John Coleman
Aryana Engineer ... Max Coleman
Isabelle Fuhrman ... Esther
CCH Pounder ... Sister Abigail
Jimmy Bennett ... Daniel Coleman
Margo Martindale ... Dr. Browning
Karel Roden ... Dr. Värava









This review contains slight spoilers. Nothing too major, but it's best to go into this film cold.

Jaume Collet-Serra’s new film, Orphan, is sick and twisted, bizarre and nihilistic, exactly as it should be. It’s a little tale focusing on a familiar movie concept: the evil, murderous, child freak. At least, that’s what we’re initially lead to believe it to be about. As the story unfolds, we realize it’s about a whole lot more; it’s a studio horror film that goes beyond the initial pitch. The best fright flicks have a sort of social subtext beneath the surface, remaining subtly in the background as the visual “boo” scares provide the mandatory jumps. Was Don Siegel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers really about American’s condition under McCarthyism? Was George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead about Vietnam and his Dawn of the Dead, mass consumerism? Did the murderous Manson family inspire Tobe Hooper to create The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Maybe. All I’m saying is that it’s there if you look (or want to look) a little deeper. There will be many that dismiss Orphan as pure gross out shock. That is their right, I suppose, but I honestly believe that there is something more to Jaume Collet-Serra’s work than substandard B movie fare.

The setup is routine: husband and wife (Peter Sarsgaard and Vera Farmiga), already with two children of their own, choose to adopt a third due to a previous miscarriage that left both lovers depressed and empty. At a local orphanage, they meet a very sweet and intelligent nine year old Russian girl named Esther, and before you can say The Bad Seed, they decide to adopt her. At first, things seem fine. Her previous family had tragically died in a fire (she was the only one to survive), but Esther appears stable enough. She wants her new mother, Kate, to teach her how to play the piano, her little sister Maxine to play in the snow with, and her father, well, she wants her father for some other things. Esther’s sweet exterior starts to fade and the family realizes that she may be more dangerous than altogether lovable and wholesome.

And so evil things begin to happen, just as you, the reader, knew that they would. Esther has a mean streak, an anger, in her that separates her from her other schoolmates. While some girls tease her for her preferred old fashioned wardrobe, Esther goes for the more matter of fact, push you down a slide and smile as you break your leg approach that so few kids seem to savor anymore. She’s a smart, goal oriented kid. When Esther uses a certain four letter word to describe sexual intercourse, we may believe that she is another one of those evil movie kids, too smart for their own good. Luckily, there’s a little bit more to it than that.

In one scene, Esther pulls a gun on her sister and wishes to play a rousing game of Russian Roulette (they must have taught her this in the KGB preschool). Ruling out demonic possession (this is a not a film interested in religious morality), what could possibly make this little girl so homicidal? And why does she always seem to be plotting something? My goodness, is this girl wise beyond her years! When most children come across a dying pigeon, they tear up and either walk or try to nurse it back to health. But oh no, our little Esther takes a rock, smashes it to smithereens, and notes that it had to be put out of its misery. Bravo, Esther. The boy scouts would be proud.

If all of this sounds a little goofy, maybe that’s because it is. Next to political subtext, the number one thing I look for in a horror film is dark humor, and this film delivers it in spades. Some critics have mistaken this humor for being unintentional, but Orphan is smarter than that. There is some flirtatious banter between the two parents early on that is funny and natural. The chemistry between Sarsgaard and Farmiga really grounds this material, and these are good actors giving good performances. And the older school children in the film are so evil you almost expect them to grow up and become serial killers (or at the very least, politicians). Another example: the very first scene. The opening dream sequence is so sickly intense, it’s comical, and that’s the joke. The grand guginol visual of a bloody screaming fetus is so extreme in its imagery, that you have no choice but to simultaneously laugh and scream. Orphan is a reflexive horror film about what we as a society consider safe and acceptable.

This film is ballsy. It has some un PC moments that will make a lot of people laugh out of a need to cover up their uncomfortable reactions. Isn’t that good though? All horror films should go against public expectations (it’s the one genre we can happily title “dangerous”), making one feel awkward and queasy. While there are several graphic and gory bits in the film, what I’m referring to are the moments with a perverse sexual undertone. The film is filled with a dark erotic notion that seems to give certain scenes a jolt, an edge (the spying of mother and father’s lovemaking in the kitchen, a third act scene involving dress up with mommy’s clothes). The situations are troubling and dramatically heightened; the son wets himself when he is confronted with a box cutter up against his genitals (this part may get a laugh, but that’s okay. The audience is uneasy). And yet still, there is a sexually charged, dangerous mood present throughout.

By now everyone on the internet is trying to spread word about the so called twist ending (and some are even trying to spoil it) that occurs at a pivotal moment in the film. The less you know going in, the better. I would like to note, however, that this is not a film which lives and dies on its twist, so fear not. Those that want to spoil the ending probably believe that that's all there is to this film but, like Neil Jordan's The Crying Game, the plot point enhances the story but doesn't give it the sole purpose for being. Don't Look Now, a film that's ending has been spoiled ten times the world over, has a similar twist in idea, if not in execution. You'll see what I mean. I'd even venture to say that the big reveal also has a dark charm about itself (it had me grinning from ear to ear), but alas, I may have said too much already.

Orphan isn't a perfect horror film. At times I felt that it suffered from too high a budget, giving it a clean and smooth feel that the story didn't warrant. Take the family's house for example. It's beautiful and yet, a little too beautiful. It's equipped with a grand piano, elegant stairwells, tens upon tens of rooms, and on the outside, a tree house, a green house, a paintball shooting range, and a sparkling frozen pond. This film proves that a white picket fence, 2.3 kids, and a dog may be a downgrade for some. The film was produced by, among others, Joel Silver and Leonardo DiCaprio. Both men, I'm sure, have a lot of money at their disposal, and their contributions are generous but perhaps not needed. In one scene, we see Esther's room decked out in sparkling fluorescent, neon paint colors, and it looks a little too much like a portfolio for an overzealous art director (but darn it, Esther can draw! C'mon parents, she could be a child prodigy). A gritty film like this needn't be too polished.

Oh, and the younger "good" sister in the film is not only cute, but deaf, and that seemed to be a needless, desperate pull for the audience's heartstrings. The actress playing the role is very believable though, so I grooved to it eventually. Still, when she is introduced, you just know there's going to be trouble later on. She's innocent and helpless, perfect bait for Esther. Then again, with this being is a horror film, I guess we knew that trouble was just on the horizon (it's required), so I'll excuse it.

Will you see Orphan? Hopefully this review encourages you to, or maybe you've seen it already. I'd like to talk about this film in greater detail somewhere down the road, further analyzing the twists and turns the playful screenplay takes. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a really good film. You're probably saying, "but I hate horror flicks. No thanks." Give it a try. Maybe this will change your mind. I mean, I won't twist your arm over it, but Esther might. She'd even break hers to get you to see this. That reminds me of another scene where.....oh, just see it. Orphan is the real deal.

The 411: Although not a perfect film, Orphan is a very fun, twisted little movie that is fully aware of its absurdity. It's intense, extreme, and all with purpose. That, my readers, is a miracle. Well acted, smartly directed, and slyly written, Orphan is a gimmick movie that goes above and beyond its gimmick. Sure, there's something wrong with Esther, but there's a lot right with this movie, and I urge you to check it. William Castle would be proud.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]