Customer Reviews

Orphan

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought "Oh God, another one of those movies." But I was surprised that after I'd gone and seen it, I'd actually thoroughly enjoyed it.

Isabelle Fuhrman is the "orphan"; that is, 9-year-old Esther who seems a little strange and morbid despite the adopted parents instance attraction to her. When violent events began taking place that are connected to Esther, the parents began to suspect that there is more to the little girl than appears.

Fuhrman definitely was the right choice for the role of Esther; she has an attractive face and her youth doesn't strain her acting abilities which were very convincing. I won't lie though; the movie was very grisly, and even I had to turn away from the screen a few times. Even the twist ending really shocked me, and I'm not easily shocked. I really think that despite how it looks, give it a shot, because it wasn't a bad little movie. It was well acted, well thought out, and seriously creepy.

I saw this film when it opened on July 24, 2009. Mixed reviews from fans and critics were the usual flair upon its release, but something struck me about this movie. The film went on to gross $37 million at the box-office despite the thrashing it took from critics, but everyone couldn't help but notice the Oscar-nomination worthy performance of its 12-year-old star Isabelle Fuhrman. I just viewed the film on DVD for the first time since its theaterical run and I'm still seeing just how riveting and engaging this movie really is.

"Orphan" is NOT a horror film. It's more along the lines of a SUSPENSE THRILLER. When I think of horror films, I think of sex-crazed teenagers being sliced up one-by-one by a machete-wielding maniac (Jason Voorhies, Freddy Krueger, Micheal Myers, etc.). The only real weapons wielded here is just a hammer, a knife, and a .38-caliber pistol. You think scary when it comes to horror films and "Orphan" isn't scary. Has some frightful moments, yes, but scary? Wishful thinking!

Set in the winter-bound parts of Conneticut & Canada, the story centers on the Coleman family: Kate (Vera Farmiga), a Yale University music teacher recovering from alcoholism and bouts of depression after having a stillborn from her third pregnancy; John (Peter Sarsgaard), an architech whose nice guy persona overshadows his increasing issues with Kate that led to past affairs; Max (Aryana Engineer), their deaf 5-year-old daughter who communicates through sign language and their oldest son Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), who feels bitterly neglected & increasingly isolated from his parents. As a way of coping with the loss of their would-be 2nd daughter, Jessica, and to amend their existence as a family, Kate & John make a fateful decision to adopt a young girl at the local orphanage.

It is here where they meet Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a sweet-looking 9-year-old Russian girl harboring some deep-seeded issues of her own despite her angelic smile and sympathetic mannerisms. Upon arriving home with new stepdaughter in tow, a series of events unravel to make everyone question the background and sincerity of this little girl. Daniel dislikes her immediately, Max forms an unhealthy bond with her new stepsister, Kate begins to seek out further information about Esther's background, & John just plays Devil's Advocate with all that occurs involving Esther. What's wrong with Esther? Is it true that behind the smile of this little angel beats the heart of a psycho killer?

The answer, and the big secret about who she really is, lies within the confines of this 123-minute thriller. I agree with everyone here that it moves at a near-torturous snail's pace, that being the film's major fatal flaw. But the story itself is so entralling and engaging, you can't help but to excuse that misfire. Fuhrman's performance alone keeps you involved in the twists and turns entrenched here. Only a young, superbly talented actress like Fuhrman was able to pull off a psychological undertaking of switching from sympathetic manipulator to disturbed sadist and it's why I feel she should've gotten an Oscar nod. But due to the overall dislike of the film itself from most critics and for her young age, she didn't get anywhere near sniffing distance of the balloting.

Nonetheless, I was so inspired by this film and became such a fan that I created my own 20-song, hard-rock CD Mix (liner notes & all) of songs inspired by the movie (my own psuedo-soundtrack, if you will, but John Ottman's score was cool). Seemingly destined to go down as a cult favorite, if not a classic, "Orphan" was a solid & enjoyable thrill ride that's essentially "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle", "The Good Son", "The Crush", and a more mean-spirited version of "Problem Child" all rolled into one. That's why this movie isn't a horror despite being classified as one. This film has a depth, substance, and intuitiveness to it that Jason, Micheal, & Freddy couldn't touch with a bloddy axe. Just take sweet, little Esther home and let her hold you, thrill you, kiss you, .... kill you!!! Can someone out there please say "CULT CLASSIC"? - DEM -

I love the pro-adoption commentary before this movie. It's a PSA of sorts telling you that all orphans are not bad kids and the following movie is not based in fact. I don't see why that was necessary, but it is humorous to think that anyone would believe this film is non-fiction.

The children in this movie are believable and they carry much of the films weight. Isabelle Fuhrman is spectacular in her performance. She is nothing like a young, wooden MacCauley Calkin who often seemed to be reading directly from a cue card (see Home Alone). Dad thinks she is innocent and sweet, but she secretly trys to destroy the dynamics of the family. As her character evolves and we learn more and more about her, she loses that sweet exterior and we see her for the murderous little heathen that she really is. Her language is very graphic at times, but not without purpose.

The entire cast were fine in their roles. The parents, and their need of another child seemed very convincing. The flow of the film from beginning to end makes for a great thriller that I highly recommend to all. It's not the same old typical slasher film with the same typical ending... and the acting is superb!

Thank you for reading....

Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, and CCH Pounder give excellent performances, but it's the kiddies who steal the show in "Orphan."

Farmiga and Sarsgaard star as Kate and John Coleman, a successful and loving (or so it seems at first) couple with two children and the desire to adopt another when Kate's third child is stillborn. They believe that they've found the perfect child in Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a nine-year-old Russian orphan who is sugary sweet, highly intelligent, and very artistic.

Once Esther arrives at the Coleman home, she is immediately met with resistance by the Coleman's son, Daniel (Jimmy Bennett), and takes their deaf daughter, Max (Aryana Engineer) under her protective wing. She is also teased at school for her dresses and the Bible she carries with her.

Slowly the viewer sees sweet Esther turn into a very dark and sinister little girl. Not only does she seek out revenge on those who pick at her, but she begins to manipulate Max and force her to help out with her dirty work.

Esther also opens old wounds from Kate and John's past and drives a wedge between them. Kate becomes suspicious of Esther and seeks out more information on her newly adopted daughter. The head mistress of the orphanage, Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder), tries to help Kate and becomes a target for Esther as well.

As Esther's dark past is revealed, her actions become more wicked and, in some cases, fatal. It is at this point that the film begins to rely on well-worn cliches that have been trod out in a number of other films about evil children, particularly "The Good Son" and "The Omen."

Naturally there is a twist thrown in near the film's climax in order to give a motive to Esther's madness, and while it is rather sickening, it's not that big of a surprise.

Overall, the film isn't that bad. However, clocking in at a very slow moving 120-plus minutes makes for a somewhat boring experience. I'm assuming that director Jaume Collet-Serra was trying to build suspense by drawing out the film, but it makes for a lackluster thriller in the end. Even the climactic battle near the end of the film is drawn out and rather unbelievable. It's almost as if the film is attempting to be a psychological thriller and a slasher flick at the same time.

Again, the film really isn't that bad, just too long and a bit boring at times. The children all shine in their roles, particularly little Aryana Engineer, whom I believe does an excellent job as Max. Her performance is overshadowed somewhat by Fuhrman's turn as Esther, but she still shines on her own.

So is this film worthy of purchase? If you enjoy psychological thrillers involving young children then, yes, I say go out and buy it. However, I do recommend to everyone else that you rent this film first. It's good, but I have no plans to add it to my permanent collection any time soon.

I actually had to look up Isabelle Fuhrman to make sure she is just a child actress. She was absolutely amazing in this role and deserves awards for this performance. The story itself is a usual horror/thriller with lots of nail-biting suspence and cold-hearted action. There's something about this film that draws me back to watch it over again. It's really not that good, but the performances are a saving grace.

This was my favorite movie of the summer of 2009, and I saw roughly 20 films. I am not a horror movie fan but something about this film intrigued me..."there's something wrong with Esther"...that made me get up and go see it in the theaters. I absolutely loved this film. I thought each of the actors played their role perfectly in this film, particularly our leading star whose name I cannot recall as I'm writing this. Vera Farmiga also does a particularly fine job and I wish she was in more leading roles, herself as I think she's quite talented. This particular DVD comes with footage of an alternate ending which I somewhat liked better than that shown in the final cut, along with some deleted scenes which I suppose are worth watching once.

I rate this film (and DVD) five stars and give it my highest recommendation as a horror film/thriller and more importantly, as a movie laden with memorable lines by Esther like "There...its in Heaven now..." or "Going somewhere Kate...?" Heh heh.

Enjoy!

When I saw the first trailer for this movie it reminded me of The Good Son, which was an excellent movie. There is just something about demented children that creeps the heck out of me. I went into this movie with a little reservation expecting it to be a poor entry into the psycho-kid genre, but thankfully I was wrong. This movie exceeded my expectations in every way and gave me hope that they can actually make a great thriller with a little bit horror mixed in. My only beef with the movie is the first twenty to thirty minutes which could have easily been condensed, but once Isabelle Fuhrman's Esther is introduced the rollercoaster begins and keeps you enthralled and sweaty-palmed all the way to the end. Isabelle Fuhrman came way out of left field with her performance as Esther. Her Russian accent is top notch (I actually thought she was Russian in real life). Fuhrman is extremely convincing as she switches personas from the kind, sweet Esther and the evil, sadistic Esther. She plays it well, almost too well. I haven't seen her in anything else, but she seems more experienced that all of the child actors out there.

The TWIST at the end will leave you speechless. Buy it. Rent it. Just see it any way you can. You really won't be disappointed unless you have REALLY high expectations. If nothing else simpy see it for Isabelle Fuhrman's performance.

Enjoyable little bad seed thriller. Some good acting and really tense moments make this a winner. The twist ending - which if you are smart and pay attention you can probably figure out - is still great fun. Enjoy!

A lot of horror movies this past decade were extremely formulaic, boring, and don't break any mold whatsoever, but "Orphan" is surprisingly a break from all of those forgettable horror films. It has a great setting along with a great atmosphere (winter is a great time to shoot a horror film), and the cinematography is also amazing. The plot line seems like something that's been done before, but it was used in a great way.
"Orphan" has great acting and amazing drama that makes the film hard to forget, because it is one of the standout films of 2009. For anybody who doesn't know what it's about, "Orphan" is about a mother who's looking to adopt after a miscarriage and adopts an orphan, who is obviously a psycho. I like how the film was about 2 hours long. It has more of a backbone story with it, more than a lot of other horror films. There's something about the movie that's really creepy, and the ending will most likely keep you on the edge of your seat. The film wasn't entirely scary to me, as I wasn't really scared from it (although some scenes were shocking, creepy, and unexpected). There is a great amount of border-line neurotic melodrama that actually works for this film. This film also isn't all about the killing, it's more psychological, actually.
All the scenes in the film were put together wonderfully, as it resembles the "creepy kid" type of horror movies really well, but it doesn't fall into much cliche, either. I bet if this film were in Spanish, American critics would have liked it better, but who cares about what they say, because this is a uniquely crafted and brilliant thrill ride of a horror movie.

I love horror movies and psychological thrillers so I had to give this a look. If you have similar tastes you will definitely enjoy this. The little girl who plays Esther "the orphan" is amazing. So is Vera Farmiga, who plays the mother, otherwise known as "the only character with any sense". Even though I dislike movies where people do unbelievably stupid things, the fact is that real people do unbelievably stupid things in real life.

I really enjoyed this movie. And I am looking forward to seeing more from the young actress who plays the title role.