ORPHAN

ORPHAN (2009)─The movies have a long history of plumbing the depths of the child/psycho-killer genre; indeed wicked murderous children abound. From the archetypal Patty McCormack in The Bad Seed (1956) to demon possessed Linda Blair in The Exorcist (1973). In other examples of cinematic murderous children we find some are purely evil of the likes of Macaulay Caulkin in The Good Son (1993) and others kids have more sympathetic motives for the reason why they kill such as Jodie Foster in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976).

ORPHAN a film written by David Johnson and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and staring Isabelle Fuhrman in a startling fresh performance as Esther the homicidal nine-year-old Russian orphan. I’ll confess I’m not a big fan of the conventional Hollywood slasher/horror genre so it was with some skepticism that I elected to screen this movie. Orphan had some serious steep hurtles ahead to overcome my dismissive mindset and bring something new and startling to the table. The first half of the film largely succeeds owing to its careful character development and a cleverly nuanced back-story. The second half of the film, while it still possesses a few twists and shocks does descend into a somewhat predictable cliché ending. Orphan largely delivers based on the performances of its excellent cast.

We are introduced to the Coleman family, Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) an affluent yuppie couple who are experiencing strains in their marriage after Kate’s third child was stillborn. The loss is particularly hard on Kate, who is a recovering alcoholic who lost her job because of her drinking. The couple decides to adopt Esther a precocious Russian girl, from the local orphanage. Kate and John have two other children a deaf-mute daughter Max (Aryana Engineer) and a son Daniel (Jimmy Bennet). As the tag-line suggest, there is indeed Something wrong with Esther. Daniel wounds a bird with his paintball gun, Esther reveals her cool cold vicious nature by dispatching the fowl with a rock. When Esther blunders into the kitchen during a late night impromptu love-making session, Kate is shocked when not only is Esther unfazed, the girl expresses far more knowledge of sex than would be expected for a child her age. Kate tries to have a talk, explaining that sometimes grown-ups do things that children shouldn't know about  . . . “They F**k.” Esther deadpans,  then nonchalantly returns to her painting.

Kate is further alarmed when Sister Abigail (C.C.H. Pounder), the head of the orphanage, warns her and John about Esther’s proclivity to be around when tragedy strikes.  Esther eavesdrops and fearing that she will be taken away, viciously bludgeons the nun to death with a hammer. She ensnares inocent Max to help her get rid of the body. They hide the bloody weapon in the tree house, which Daniel witnesses. Later, Esther threatens Daniel with a box cutter if he tells anyone what he saw. “I’ll cut off your hairless little prick before you even know what it’s used for.”

The situation rapidly spirals out of control, after a minor scuffle with Kate, Esther in what is perhaps the most chilling act of psychotic nihilism,  breaks her own arm in an effort to illicit sympathy from John and cast Kate as the villain. Daniel decides to retrieve the hammer from the tree house and go to the police. Esther sets the tree house on fire, but Daniel escapes. Esther again tries unsuccessfully to kill Daniel at the hospital by smothering him with a pillow.

Later that night, like some kind of homunculus shape-shifter, in what amounts to the movie's biggest shocker. Esther transforms herself  into a miniature adult, now dressed in a skimpy black negligee, Esther tries desperately to seduce John. “I love you daddy . . . I really love you. Let me take care of you.” Angry and hurt at being spurned, Esther viciously murders John.

It’s here unfortunately in the final reel that Orphan starts to unravel and descends into hack and cliché. Complete with the classic “Kick scene” from Star Trek. The climatic struggle ensues at the edge of an icey pond. “Mommy please don’t let me die!” . . . “I’m not your mommy!” Not a very satisfying ending to what was overall a very scary and enjoyable movie.


Orphan (2009) ** ½