Movie of the day: "Orphan"

Rating: 6/10 (24 July 2009)

OK, so I'll admit that I didn't go into "Orphan" expecting much. I originally didn't want to see the film, I had absolutely zero interest in seeing it, but I had the opportunity to see it with a girl I liked, so what the hell? I'll take a chance, and $10.25 at the local theater. I don't think "Orphan" is nearly as bad as it could have been, or as bad as people are making it out to be.
Yes, the film does concern Esther (Isabelle Furhman), a cute 9-year-old Russian girl who is adopted by the Colemans, Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard), who already have a young son and deaf-mute daughter. But pretty soon, the new addition to the family reveals a much darker and twisted side to her personality as a murderous psychopath that has been well-advertised in the commercials.
The movie has caused some controversy in the weeks leading up to its release, stemming from the "myths" about people adopting older children. My response is that "Orphan" is just a movie; it's a work of fiction and I don't think this movie will put people off from adopting older children.
The movie brings back memories of such "evil child" movies such as "The Omen" and "The Bad Seed," so we know where the plot is going to take us before it has a chance to waste our time and patience arriving at that moment. The film's big "plot twist" revealing the truth about Esther's murderous dark side two-thirds of the way through "Orphan" will not be a surprise to more thoughtful viewers, but at least it's made believable within the context of the film.
There are also some funny parts in the movie as well, though I'm unsure if they were intentional or not on the part of the filmmakers, particularly director Jaume Collet-Serra and screenwriter David Johnson. Maybe it was intentional or not, but maybe it's because the laughs were aimed at the people who were two rows in front of us and who were whooping and hollering and screaming at the screen every time something scary happened...
6/10