Every time I see that a film is directed by László Nemes I am reminded of his masterpiece, Son Of Saul. That's a bit unfair, especially when I need to try to avoid comparing his other films to that towering achievement, but I can't help it. I have seen one other film from him, Sunset, that I liked, but didn't love. And now I have seen Orphan, which is a marked return to form.
Once again dealing with people and mental states shaped by the horrors of the Holocaust, Nemes this time puts viewers alongside a young boy named Andor (Bojtorján Barabas). Andor has spent some time in an orphanage while his mother (Klára, played by Andrea Waskovics) was hiding in the countryside, but is happily reunited with her a decade later. He has no such luck with his father though, who was killed during the war, but Andor still hopes to see him again one day. Then along comes Mihály Berend (Grégory Gadebois), the man who helped to keep Klára hidden, in exchange for payment. He wants a relationship with Klára, and he would also be happy to accept Andor as his son. But does he deserve them?
Co-writing the screenplay once again with Clara Royer, Nemes has delivered a film here that is arguably more thought-provoking and difficult to process than his feature debut. That film remains his best, and most powerful, work, but there's so much folded in here that it's hard to untangle every strand and unpick every knot.
A lot of people wanted to quickly forget what they had to do to survive during wartime, whether for good or bad reasons, and Orphan shows how impossible that is, especially for those who somehow managed to profit from it, and maybe even improve their lot in life. Good deeds don't necessarily stem from good intentions, and bad people can be sanctuary for those fleeing even worse people. Can you just leave the past in the past when it arrives in the shape of someone who wants to be a part of your future?
All of the performances here are as fantastic as they need to be, but most of the praise has to go to both Barabas and Gadebois, playing two people with very different views of the world, but perhaps a common desire for love and safety now that the world seems to be resettling after such a turbulent time. Despite their huge age gap, both characters seem to look at one another with silent understanding as they work around Klára to get things their own way. As the woman caught between her son and an unexpected suitor, Waskovics is superb, showing how much she has to seriously consider her best way forward in life, even if it feels very much like she's caught between a rock and a hard place. Elíz Szabó is also very good, playing a young friend named Sári, and there are one or two others in supporting roles who get to feature in some very powerful moments.
There are a couple of minor elements here that aren't given enough time or attention, but Orphan is well worth your time for the way it continually balances smaller moments with some big, and difficult to definitively answer, questions. The beautiful cinematography from Mátyás Erdély also helps, as does every other technical aspect, but the real power of it comes from the ideas being explored. I'll be thinking of this film for a long time yet, and I encourage others to watch it and join me in some serious contemplation.
9/10
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