REELGUY'S DVD REVIEW:
"Orphan" a well-written thriller with an unexpected twist
Maine Connection: The writer of the screenplay, David Johnson, worked on two different Stephen King films with director Frank Darabont. He was an assistant to Darabont during 1999’s "The Green Mile" and a production assistant in 1994 during the filming of "Shawshank Redemption."
Sometimes a movie without much fanfare comes along that blows your mind; "Orphan" is one of those movies. It is a well-written thriller (with some facets of a horror movie) that is an original take on familiar material. The addition of an outsider to a fractured family story has been done successfully in "The Good Son" and "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" but this film unexpectedly tops both of them with its building tension and remarkable twist ending. The young actress who plays the newly adopted Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman; "Hounddog") deserves recognition for a very creepy turn as a troubled young girl. The director, Jaume Collett-Serra ("House of Wax" remake), comes into his own with this film, not letting the viewer in on whether Esther is dangerous or simply misunderstood until later in the picture. This adds an additional area of stress for the viewer, as Collett-Serra teases us with a deadly glance or an unusual remark. The audience's patience is well worth it, as Orphan gives both an exciting finale and an unexpected final plot detail that will cause the viewer to rethink the entire picture.
The Coleman family is still recovering from a recent tragedy when parents Kate (Vera Farminga; "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas") and John (Peter Sarsgaard; "Rendition") decide to adopt a little girl. The story gives a plausible reason for this decision. The viewer is instantly sympathetic to the family and the difficulties it has overcome. The couple has a tween son named Daniel and a deaf, younger daughter named Max. When the Colemans choose Esther, it seems like an unusual choice but a humane one. Esther is different; she wears old-fashioned clothes and keeps to herself but she is also naturally artistic and polite. When other children start getting accidentally injured around her and Esther's past proves to be a dead end, the mother becomes rightfully suspicious and protective of her other children. But Esther's ability to emotionally separate each family member from the others, in a battle of wills, may be too much for one woman to overcome.
The thrillers or horror stories that start with a hurting family unit are often the best at creating empathy with the main characters. The inclusion of a deaf daughter proves to be more than a simple stunt, as her disability is interwoven into the intricate story. The mother role played by Farminga is a wonderful opportunity to be right but forever disbelieved. The connection to this woman as the story's imperfect heroine is airtight by film's end. The father role is not as well-written, as John plays the frequently disconnected father who frustratingly doesn't see the danger until it is too late. The children are not simply window-dressing in "Orphan" but an important part of the film. The secret world of children and the secrets they keep from adults is exploited by Esther. The children are in as much danger as the adults with some gasp-inducing scenes involving them. This movie is not a family picture and parents should be wary of watching it with young ones.
"Orphan" is a praiseworthy scary film that is a must-rent this Halloween or soon thereafter. The grounded story is artfully directed and well performed. It will make this movie instantly re-watch friendly if only to pick out the clues missed prior to that final twist.
Rated R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality and language.
