Orphan Slashes Adoption Rate One Parent At A Time

Orphan

The thing I like about horror films is the way they test our moral fibre. Not only do they provide bone chilling scares, but horror flicks also remind us of how desensitized we have become as a society. I was reminded of this fact when I watched Jaume Collet-Serra's film Orphan.

Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John Coleman (Peter Sarsgaard) have seen their marriage go through some trying times. After dealing with alcoholism, infidelity, and the death of an unborn child, the Coleman's have come out stronger than ever...or so they think. Unbeknownst to the couple, their relationship is about to be tested again when they decide to adopt a child. After being wooed at the local orphanage by a nine-year-old Estonian girl, Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), the Coleman's believe their life is now complete. As time goes on, Kate begins to see a darker side to Esther. A side that may cost the Coleman's, and their two biological children, their lives.

There comes a moment in the last act where I thought to myself "oh no, they better not take it there..." This was mere minutes before a major plot point was revealed. It was like the film heard me speaking through the television set and then offered up a scene to quell my fears. I could not help but breakout into a laughter. My laughter had nothing to do with the major revelation; it was all about my own warped limits.

Up to that point I had no problems with everything else I had witnessed. Bloody nightmare sequence at the beginning? Fine with me. Young girl being pushed off the high playground set? She had it coming. Someone being bludgeoned over the head? Rolled right off my back. Yet one allusion to a improper situation and all of a sudden I am up in arms.

Compared to Collet-Serra's last stab at horror, 2005's House of Wax, Orphan is a quite tame in the gore department. There are a few disgusting moments but nothing as excessive as what Wax had to offer. Though the lack of gore may put off some hardcore horror fans, the restraint that Jaume uses in Orphan actually works to the pictures benefit. It also shows that Jaume Collet-Serra is growing as a director.

At times Orphan plays like the film The Good Son. It spends a lot of time developing the characters, though the payoff is never as satisfying as you would hope. Orphan does have several things going in its favour though. Vera Famiga is good as the mother who uses the adoption as a means to abolish previous sins. Her scenes with Peter Sarsgaard work well in regards to establishing the history of their relationship. They were times when I found Sarsgaard's character to annoying at times. Mainly in the sense that he is a little too blinded by Esther's charm. He never doubts her for a minute, even when all signs say he should. This element, and the longer than needed running time, keep Orphan from being a memorable horror film. While it will entertain for a few hours, the only thing truly lasting about Orphan is the reminder of how lapse our personal limits are at times.

Movie Marketing Monday

Movie Marketing Monday looks at the movie trailers and/or posters that caught my eye recently.

Knight & Day

Mr. & Mrs. Smith this film is not. Regardless Tom Cruise back in action mode, and Cameron Diaz back in comedy mode, is a good start.





Solitary Man

Michael Douglas seems to be making a huge comeback with Wall Street and Solitary Man coming out within months of each other. This film has a Wonder Boys vibe to it, which is not a bad thing at all. Love the casting for this one.

A Conventional Education Passable But Not Stellar

An Education

The Golden Globes were announced yesterday which means we now must endure weeks of the “who got snubbed” debates. Personally I do not really care for the Golden Globes. I find they often tend to nominate the films/television shows that will ensure the biggest celebrity turnout for their telecast. Still, I cannot bash the Golden Globes as there are times when they do get their nominations and winners right. One film in particular this year, An Education, has been appearing on many critics' “top ten" lists for Best Pictures of the Year. Surprisingly it did not make the cut for the Globes. The film only received one nomination, Best Actress, for Carey Mulligan’s phenomenal work in the film. Some may consider this a huge snub but I actually think they made the right choice.

Set in the early 1960's, sixteen year-old Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan)lives with her parents (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) in the London suburb of Twickenham. Her father, Jack (Molina), wants nothing more than to see his daughter attend Oxford. Though Jenny is a gifted student, her marks in Latin may hinder her chances of being accepted at the prestigious school. While heading home one day Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a charming man more than twice her age. David exposes Jenny to an exciting world that she that she only dreamed about. As Jenny and David become closer, Jenny is forced to question what is the true value of an education?

As coming-of-age tales go, An Education is a rather enjoyable film but far from great. Sure it was nice to see a film like this from a young woman’s perspective that did not involve “magical fitting pants” or a big “prom” scene at the end. The reason this film works well at the level it does is partly because of the era it is set in. Since there were limited options for women at the time, it makes it a little easier to believe that Jenny’s parents would be charmed by this man who is more than twice her age. It also allows for many of the characters to observe what is happening without really speaking up against it.

While I did like the film it must be noted that An Education is rather light on substance. Which is rather odd, especially considering the subject matter that is in the film. The problem is An Education never bothers to give us any real insight into David at all. Sure we see how he gets his money, but you never really see what makes him truly tick. The final arc offers a little snippet but it only serves as a launch point for the all too sweet ending. As a result Sarsgaard is not given much to work with and provides the weakest performance in the whole picture. Peter Sarsgaard is a great actor who usually nails his roles. Yet he only seems to hit one-note, "creepy man-child", through this entire picture. After a while I found myself being more interested in the possible relationship between Jenny and David’s friend, Danny (Dominic Cooper). Come to think of it, I would have preferred if Sarsgaard and Cooper had actually switched roles. Cooper exuded far more charisma in his minor role than Sarsgaard did in the whole picture. Frankly the majority of the cast outshines Sarsgaard in the film.

Carey Mulligan and Alfred Molina are definitely the main reasons that the film kept me interested as long as it did. Mulligan carries the entire film on her back and is nearly flawless will doing so. She provides a refreshing and realistic portrayal of what it is like to be a teenage girl. Although the picture is set in the 1960’s she truly makes her character timeless. Molina is great as Jenny’s father as he hits all the right comedic and dramatic notes. The thing I like about Molina’s work here is that he truly understands his characters motives. Jack only wants the best for his daughter but his ambitions for her success blind him to the reality of the situation. Take away Mulligan and Molina and An Education is really much ado about nothing. While the film is not as deep as it appears to be, An Education is still worth seeing if nothing else for the performances.