Orphan

First off, I know it's late to be writing reviews about movies and DVDs, and just because Orphan is a horror flick, I don't want anyone to think that I can't sleep because I just watched this movie. I think this movie borders so close to being deliciously deranged, it's almost funny. If I wake up in the middle of the night (3:15AM), it's probably because the walls in my house are knocking.

The story begins on a sad note when it is discovered that a woman suffers a miscarriage. As she tries to put the pieces together, her and her husband decide that adoption might be a solution. At the orphanage, they meet Esther who seems to have one or two things in common with Kate Coleman (played by Vera Farmiga), the woman who recently lost her baby at birth. There are many scene set ups that lead us to be awestruck at the maturity and talent that this little girl, Esther, possesses, but the results of the carefully structured sequences seem to lack impact as they flirt with ironic humor. What I mean is that a person could see a situation between Kate and Esther as either funny or serious. This characteristic is also reflected in the differences Kate has with her husband, John.

By describing this film as deranged, I mean to say that the ending is a shocker. It makes one challenge the ethics of the adopting family when they pick up Esther from Saint Marianne's Orphanage and Kate bids farewell to the Sister with a simply "Bye. Thank you." as if she were helped by a stock clerk at Target who assisted her with finding her merchandise. Out of all the kids that were playfully displayed for the parents to choose from, you really have to scrutinize why they picked Esther. The scene I found humorous actually alludes to this couple selfishly seeking the perfect prodigy who will strengthen the career of a recovering alcoholic. And this from the mouths of babes, too. It's hard to tell whether Esther is or is not depicted as every little girl's fantasy. Nearing the end of the film, when Esther has her father just where she wants him, then starts the disturbing revelations that I'm more than comfortable dismissing as deranged.

There will be films that challenge the status quo in their attempt to blatantly entertain. Organizations will voice their opposition and writer/directors will be made or broken. It's like SLAYER and their new album World painted blood containing so much innuendo with their killing and murder lyrics. Some people like that kind of thing, and some people's parents would like nothing more than to see the members of that band banned. That their American Carnage tour has been postponed makes me wonder whether a few parents united to cause the band a hernia.