Beautiful Child Creating something original from a set of long-used elements is a real talent. The ability to present the old, as something, if not new, then perfectly updated and modernized, deserves both attention and praise with respect. Applying already proven methods, there is always a way to develop original ideas and an interesting approach, and then the final product can reach the same level as the classics, representing a large bright spot in its genre direction.
You are especially surprised when a very novice director, having a couple of not the most impressive works behind him, gives out a real work of art, contributing something to the genre itself and developing thereby before his eyes. Director Haum Serra is just one of these, and admire as a result of his work, which turned out to be underrated by the viewer in connection with the presence of more clearly PR and attractive, at first glance, competitors.
Unfortunately, without creating a furor around itself, and without attracting the world's great stars, the film "Orphan" can not commercially boast of anything, but the content of the film is able to compete in quality with the most brilliant representatives of this genre.
The very theme of evil children is used repeatedly and multi-genre. Whether it is ghostly visions, jumping over the rope of a baby in a terrible dream, getting out of the TV brunette, or just thinking about murder child. What was not, and the son of the Devil, and the crowd of twins with sparkling eyes, zombie children, and somewhere was bright and original, somewhere dull and boring. Here in The Dark Child we are confronted with a family tragedy and an attempt to solve it and cope with the storm of feelings. The decision is difficult, but quite correct, and already quite a large family decides to adopt a girl from the orphanage.
The two-faced creature should a priori smile nicely, draw naive pictures, and at the same time conceive grandiose plans to eliminate all the people she did not like. The attitude towards the central character varies from time to time, depending on the situation. On the one hand, half of the shown takes place in reality, children are sometimes really cruel, not understanding the suffering of the other, sometimes vindictive and even insidious, while it is better to forget about the final twist and look deep into the problems of the school team and inside family relations in a large family. And look, these problems are not raised superficially or briefly, they are not spoken about in passing. They strike at the heart with a sharp blade and the culmination of tragic events of all possible variants. It's a real drama. The tragedy played on the screen is amazing.
And looking at such scenes, which cause very strong emotions in you, you believe the actors immaculately, you are amazed at events, and you are really afraid of terrible scenes. And you understand that no names like Zellweger are necessary at all to perfectly play the main female role, develop a spiritual tragedy in an open form and show sincere feelings on the screen. There is no need for Ferland with her filmography, from which nothing is ever asked except to beat a child or an infernal soulless thing. It is enough for almost unknown Isabelle Furman, who has a real acting talent and great potential. She demonstrates a bright characteristic game, emotional swings and inspires both charm from her smile and horror from frowning eyebrows. Such a talent for such a role is still to be searched for, and the title of the best evil child for her should be fixed unequivocally, if there was a boy in Omen, then her Esther is definitely the best villain girl.
But you should not look for any hidden meaning in everything that happens in the film. Looking for some metaphors, symbolism and similar elements is an activity that may be useful, but clearly distracting from the main ideas of the film and the plot drama. As for the horror, this part of the film is very good. Of course, the potential of the R rating could be revealed even more widely, but the matter here rests more often in the script itself and the presence of similar scenes. It turned out especially well with a dove, a nun, and an extraordinary scene with his father, while the tension and actually frightening events occur much more than just murders.
On the other hand, having traditions and stamps on their hands, they were not lazy to shove them into the film with a kind of coleidoscope, playing on parental feelings and causing fear of a child who is under threat. But even this apparently deliberate incitement of fears and fears is organized at an intense pace, with great tension and the real unpredictability of the outcome of such events. It is difficult to predict which of the characters and when will die, and whether anyone will remain alive at all. Everything can turn out in the most unexpected way.
And if we talk about the surprise, then the final turn will demonstrate the brightest twist, which was almost impossible to imagine. The script goes uphill from the dynamics of tense episodes, culminating in such amazing and shocking events that at the denouement you want to applaud standing for just one idea and a similar move, and the implementation is completely performed incomparably and at the highest level.
Touching upon some situational conflicts, the film did not do without psychologicalism in the entire related history. The tragedy of loss, the Electra complex, jealousy and revenge, in which the problems of what is happening only increase their pressure and tension of the situation. And when terrifying events are constantly forced to jump on the spot, but scream with horror, reigning around the atmospheric tension does not let go to the very end.
House Serra managed to achieve his film a bright horror film with elements of a thriller. A frightening film about the real problems and realities of life, with all its improbability, subtlety and sharpness. Having touched on the main dramas of life, having played a powerful tense climax, and having managed to adequately realize his acting potential in one of the best horror films of recent years.
9 OF 10
Original