Vera Farmiga and Isdabelle Fuhrman in "Orphan"
courtesy of Warner Home Entertainment
“Psychological Thriller That Works”

Sometimes a movie comes along that is so different and so unique that you relish having the chance to watch it. To me that is “Orphan” Let me say up front I am a sucker for horror movies that are short on gore and long on suspense. “Carrie,” “The Omen,” “The Lost Boys” and others of that ilk just fascinated me. Now comes “Orphan,” a horror movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat while also making you think. 

Vera Farmiga, one of Hollywood’s most talented actresses, stars as Kate. She is the mother of two and wife to John (Peter Sarsgaard). She is also a recovering alcoholic whose third child was stillborn. In other words Kate and John have some problems. This makes it surprising that they are cleared to adopt a third child, but they are.

The child they select is Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), a nine year old who was born in Russia. They bring her home to join their family and to be a sister to Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) and Max (Aryana Engineer). Esther immediately bonds with Max, even learning sign language so she can communicate better with the hearing impaired child.

Things start out smoothly but soon trouble begins to follow Esther. Daniel and Max are terrified of her but can’t tell their parents for fear she will do something horrible to them. Still Kate soon has feelings that not everything is as it should be with Esther, but John remains a loyal supporter.

The movie does not hide Esther’s evil nature for long. The audience is witness to all of her heinous acts even if the characters on screen are not. This heightens the suspense and the chill factor. Esther will resort to murder in order to get her own way and hide all of her secrets.

The acting in this movie is great. Farmiga pulls out all the stops as a mother fearful for the safety of her family who can’t get anyone to take her seriously. Sarsgaard makes John wimpily weak and lets him play right into Esther’s hands. Fuhrman’s Esther is icily sinister and that makes her the perfect villain for this film.

Before you make any judgments about the content of the film, watch the movie. There are twists that might make you less judgmental, and believe me you won’t see them coming. 

“Orphan” is a well written, well acted, suspenseful movie that tones down the gore while ratcheting up the suspense. And that folks is just the way I like ‘em.

The entire gang from “Ice Age 2” is back and in great form in the third installment “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” Tin this movie, now on DVD, he animals share an adventure that takes them underground to where the dinosaurs roam, and where they also find what it is about each other that makes them a herd. There is humor, heart and a hefty chunk of adventure in this latest episode of a series that shows no signs of letting down.

Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano) and his wife Ellie (Queen Latifah) are excitedly awaiting the birth of their offspring. This puts Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) in the family mood too. So when he discovers three huge eggs he adopts them and waits for them to hatch. When they do they are baby dinosaurs.

When the momma dinosaur eventually catches up with Sid and her babies she takes them home to an underground valley. Manny, Ellie, Diego the saber tooth tiger (Denis Leary), and the two possums Crash (Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck) go in search of Sid.

In the underground valley they meet up with Buck the weasel (Simon Pegg) who knows his way around the valley. He helps them in their adventure and everything turns out right.

Interspersed in the story is another adventure and this concerns Scrat (Chris Wedge), the acorn lover. When he lays eyes on Scratte (Karen Disher) it is love of another type. Their story progresses at various times during the movie.

Everything about the movie is fun from Romano’s slow talking Manny to the zest of Pegg’s Buck. And then there are the possums who literally steal the show every time they open their mouths. They were the stars of the second adventure and they come back and steal this one too.

There isn’t much new about this movie but since the characters are so much fun it doesn’t matter. It is a DVD you can show to the kids, relax and let them have a ball with it, and even find some laughs in it yourself. Make sure you perk up every time the possums are on screen.

Woody Allen makes one movie a year and there are still fans who wait for this “event” to arrive. This year’s movie is “Whatever Works” and it is now available on DVD. Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood star in this comedy about an older man/younger woman romance.

David, who most of you know from HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” plays an ornery older man who meets a young runaway played by Wood. It is an unusual; pairing but well that’s Woody’s way. The film isn’t the best Allen has ever created but it is entertaining – if you are a Woody Allen fan.

For something a little different and a movie that is somewhat of a cerebral comedy pick up “Whatever Works.” It might just work for your entertainment pleasure.

Finally there is a DVD titled “Dr. G: Medical Examiner.” People who watch the Discovery Health Channel are very familiar with Dr. Jan Garavaglia, ME. This DVD is a collection of twelve episodes from the series she has on that channel.

Dr. G is a forensic scientist who studies bodies to determine the cause of death. She is also a part time detective, maybe not in the official sense but one just the same. Add in that she is also a working mother and you see how complex and complicated her life can get.

Real autopsies are shown here and the breakthroughs she makes are explored. It is a fascinating look at a woman who loves her work and it pays off. 
 

 

 

 

 

©2009 Jackie K. Cooper

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