Review of Orphan (2009) by Amheretojudge — 13 Nov 2019

Orphan takes big and big leaps as it progresses. I should say "age" and not "progress" for it also makes less and less sense as it grows.

Orphan And we meet again. The director Jaume Collet-Serra and I were just getting along and I cameOrphan takes big and big leaps as it progresses. I should say "age" and not "progress" for it also makes less and less sense as it grows.

Orphan.

And we meet again. The director Jaume Collet-Serra and I were just getting along and I came upon this project of his. Not to say, not to forget that I am not fascinated and mesmerized by his direction. But once again it is not him that is arrogantly high on the material it projects but the screenwriters David and Alex. They are proud and in love with the rabbit they have hidden under the hat. And I have seen people occasionally dish out the rabbit. But it is not just those final moments of the trick but the entire pitch of it.

There is no proper call of a judgement on what goes around in this house. Not haunted, not dysfunctional family and not the correctness or incorrectness of the judgement but the arrogance to stick by whether it is or not. Addition to that, the way each character is dealt with is also not profoundly dull but even insulting at times. For the difference between how these character and we are treated is nothing. There is no border between it.

With elaborative manipulative scenarios placed in narration with fast editing and loud background score and good performances we are told to get mad over and our feelings amped up strongly towards these odd characters. And we do. It gets hold of you and doesn't leave you easily. And I think it is not that the storyline is working. It is because we are vulnerable and out of control. We are told to observe, just observe, as the film and family collapse on the cheesiest and slippery floors with no ground or grip to hold onto any of its statements or theories. And we sit by and simply take it. Bravely take it all.