Truth be told, I didn't have much interest in seeing this film after viewing the trailer. It looked like a clone of that stupid early 90's thriller "The Good Son". I thought to myself, "why would I want to see a retread of a lame Bad Seed rip-off"? Well for starters, the screening was free, so we figured what the hell.

In "Orphan", Vera Famiga and Peter Sarsgaard play a couple who, following a tragedy, decide to adopt a child. They already have two children, a cute, partially deaf five six year old girl (Aryana Engineer), and a slightly confused eleven year old boy (Jimmy Bennett), but they're interested in expanding the family so they set out to the local orphanage to find the perfect child. They think they've found her in the form of Russian native Esther. Young Esther is as a sweet, intelligent nine year old, and the couple immediately take a liking to her, but shortly after bringing the youngster into their lives, Farmiga quickly begins to learn that's there's something seriously wrong with Esther.

Throughout the film, Esther spends most her time manipulating folks in her life and turning family members against one another. As the film progresses, so does Esther's seemingly evil behavior and before long, a murder enters the equation.

Look, "Orphan" is riddled with standard horror film cliches from start to finish and, while it isn't nearly as strong as the films it tries to emulate, (namely: "The Bad Seed" and "The Omen") it offers up a certain level of goofy fun. What's most striking about the movie is its big twist. John actually had the twist pegged in the first thirty minutes of the movie and even though he shared his theory with me early on, I was still affected by the twist when it eventually revealed itself. Trust me. It's kind of a doozy, and while it might be tough for some audiences to swallow, it put a great big smile on my face. Its just so off the wall nutty, I had to smile.

I also have to give props to "Orphan" for solid performances. Vera Farmiga is sexy and vulnerable as the film's heroine. She slightly overplays a few of the shrieky moments in the final act of the film, but over all, I liked her quite a bit. Peter Sarsgaard is strong in the male lead, granted I thought he was a bit quick to buy into little Esther's manipulative ways, but that fault lies more in the hands of the screenwriter. Together, Farmiga and Sarsgaard prove to have quite a bit of chemistry (watch for a sexy rendezvous on a kitchen counter). Engineer and Bennett are terrific as siblings caught up in a horrific set of circumstances while Isabelle Fuhrman is eerily effective as the wise beyond her years Esther, an orphan with serious issues.

"Orphan" won't win any awards for originality but it does offer up an entertaining twist, relatively strong performances, and enough spirited (and malicious) fun to warrant a moderate recommendation.

Click on the link;

http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com/