Film Review: Orphan
Orphan (2009)
Theatrical Release Date: July 24, 2009
Directed By: Jaume, Collet-Serra
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, Aryana Engineer, Jimmy Bennett
Review By: Marc Patterson
I’d like to take a moment to lay down a disclaimer before I launch into this review. Anyone who knows me knows that I fairly much despise slick big budget studio horror that is built to cater to an audience of horror-lites. I like my horror black, brutal, and fucking bloody. If a big studio is able to push that out and accomplish said task with originality and finesse then fine. Most often than not, the state of horror here in the US is just not to par, and come to think of it I haven’t seen a proper studio scripted blood bath in ages.
From the outset Orphan appears to be exactly that slickly produced bit of big studio trash that I despise so much.
The film opens in grisly fashion that will make any woman who has experienced an emergency caesarean section cringe in absolute horror. The blood hits the screen in quick order and for the moment I can relax and revel in the red as our leading lady delivers a stillborn child under much duress.
John and Kate Coleman (Sarsgaard and Farmiga respectively) are a well off couple with a nice home and a beautiful family. They have a great son Daniel, and an absolutely endearing little girl Max (Aryana Engineer), who is also deaf.
Somehow this ideal life isn’t good enough for this yuppie couple. Kate had said stillborn child Jessica a year ago and this grisly scene we witnessed earlier is actually a recurring nightmare for which Kate is seeing a psychologist. Kate is also a recovering alcoholic, which apparently makes her the perfect candidate for adopting a child. Her husband John, is a mild mannered architect who seems to be the pressuring force behind adding a member to his already quite complete family. When they head out into the country to a home for girls they meet an unusually mature, and gifted young nine year old named Esther. However, as they are about to find out, Esther isn’t as innocent as she seems. Tension mounts and fury ignites between the family until everything snowballs towards a foregone conclusion.
First off, I’m not going to spend time comparing Orphan to the Omen. If you’ve seen the trailer, and you understand the concept of the film, then the comparisons are obvious, and it’s pointless to talk about this aspect of the film. I am simply going to review what it was that I saw on the screen opening night, and what that is was something surprisingly refreshing.
At the center of the film is our child villain Esther who was simply skin crawlingly creepy from beginning to end. Her maliciousness knew no boundaries, and this is where the film really was able to shine. We know up front that she is a ticking time bomb, and we know from some well-placed clues the level of horror that she is capable of. Esther’s dark soul unfolds slowly to the audience as she carefully manipulates each of the family members to turn on each other and play into her horrifying games. When it comes to predicting the depths of her depravity the film served up a few nail-biting moments that were much appreciated.
And then there is the young daughter Max, a girl that is so charming that within moments you’ll want to adopt her as your own. Moreso than any common slasher with a clichéd final girl, here Orphan took the concept of young innocence and put it into the body of a little five year old. We watch in absolute horror, as this impressionable embodiment of innocence becomes the mute understudy of Esther, and who is slowly raped repeatedly of her purity until the final moments of the film, which prove as explosive as I’ve seen in quite a while. Not because of any sense of originality, but because two children actors play out this crucial dynamic.
And then the F-Bomb drops…
Ophan might have succeeded in exceeding my expectations, but it fails on variety of levels. For starters it was at least twenty minutes too long. On many occasions we’re asked to suspend our belief in what is happening, or question why something happened the way it did. On other occasions the film strays wickedly from its narrative and loses any sense of pacing as it wanders on a foray into La-La Land. This could have benefitted greatly from a couple more passes in the editing room.
Worse than a few forgivable oversights were far more unforgivable moments. On more than one occasion climatic scenes that should have been heightened in unbelievable tension were reduced to ridiculous laughter, as though we were watching a Will Ferrell comedy. (Wait until the scene where Esther hits on John). And if Esther is everywhere trouble is then Sarsgaard seems to be everywhere an awkward laugh erupts. He’s a capable actor, but delivers a flaccid performance for a character that is annoying at his best moments.
Despite the films many misgivings it ultimately had me gripping at the seat in suspense, more in dread for fate of Max than anyone else. Ultimately she’s the only character who is worthy of our empathy, and it’s guaranteed she’ll get it. Blood will be shed. Family members will die. If this is what you’re looking for, rest assured you’ll get it.
The simple bottom line is that Orphan was a lot better than I thought it would be, but by no means is this a compliment. I thought it was going to be an utter disaster, a disaster on the proportions as that wretched, wretched film THE UNBORN. That it managed to successfully bring to the table some genuinely suspenseful moments, that it was able to make us believe in the malevolence of this young nine year old girl, and empathize at points with the protagonists means that it did its job far better than its contemporaries. Assuming you don’t expect too much from it, Orphan makes the perfect midsummer thrill ride and comes recommended.
Brutal As Hell Rating:
3 ½ out of 5
