Rating of
3.5/4
Scary little girl kept me on the edge of my seat!
mdtinney - wrote on 12/01/09
This was a great movie, top to bottom. The acting is superb all around, especially Esther! For such a young girl she really sells the whole evil orphan thing just as well as the sweet innocent girl she pretends to be. The movie grabs your attention right from the start and keeps it for the entire length of the film.After watching this on DVD, I'm convinced Miss Fuhrman deserves a Supporting Actress nomination. Think not? I challenge you to view this and "Atonement" at one sitting and consider which child gives a more powerful, richly nuanced and emotionally devastating performance. If Miss Ronan was nominated, surely should Miss Fuhrman. Watch her eyes in the dinner table scene when the family discusses her classmate's tumble from the play structure. The little girl covers the soul-wrenching subtexts in all of the vivid spectrum of emotions. And if you're not moved by the brief scene when Esther goes to her little sister and pleas for help when the evil nun comes to take her away -- again, watch her eyes -- then you have no heart. Moreover, the girl's courage in confronting the Last Great Taboo not only of cinema but of Western civilization must assure us that she holds the key to a career that promises monumental achievement. I know I was not alone when I left my first screening of "Interview With The Vampire" convinced I had watched Miss Dunst give the Best Supporting Actress performance. I hope this disappointment will not be repeated.
This Thriller is not like "Omen" or other evil-child movies. It's not really even a horror movie as there's not a lot of genuine scares in it but it does keep a delicious high-tension vibe and a ton of fake outs. If you're expecting a jump-out-of-your-seat hack and slash horror movie, this isn't it but if you're looking for a drama that will raise your heart rate and make you bite your nails you won't be disappointed!
