Orphan

Orphan
Director: Jaume Collett-Serra
Stars: Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard
Classification: STC
Rating: ***

The latest addition to the canon of creepy kid characters is a doozy: Esther, the titular ward of Orphan, is poised, polite, preternaturally talented and dresses like an American Girl doll. And then there’s that creepy stare, which sends chills down the spine when it transforms into a glare.

Do not cross Esther. Isabelle Fuhrman, who plays Esther, is terrifyingly good. In fact, she’s the best thing about Orphan by far.

Not to give anything away, but the movie doesn’t really come alive until Esther starts glaring and people start ending up in the hospital. Until then, it’s a long, long bout of set-up and false starts. Vera Farmiga plays a guilt-ridden Connecticut mother of two whose drinking caused the death of her unborn third child. Haunted by nightmares and just generally mopey, she assures her husband (Peter Sarsgaard) that she’s ready to try again, this time looking to bring a child into their home via adoption.

Surrounding the complex portrait of a yuppie marriage disintegrating, there’s still a scary movie to get to. Unfortunately, the filmmakers rely on cheap scares and misdirection to get there. But most complaints are easily forgotten when Fuhrman is onscreen. Seriously, she’s that good.

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