irisstrings

'I'm NOT my father', Tom's assertion is far from dubious. As an audience one wanders, then why is he visiting his father. It turns out Tom reluctantly agreed to be a guinea pig for his father's science experiment in exchange of monetary returns. As he sits in the chair in the make-shift lab setup in a barn, a device is attached to his head which creates a digital copy of his brain on to a chip, thereby storing memories which, in future, can be reloaded in case of a memory loss. The idea, on the surface, may sound familiar and one might think, so what? The answer to this very question will set the audience on a twisted, yet heart-warming, feature film length debut by Arvi Ragu. Picking up the mantle as writer, director, and producer, Ragu has proven that his short-film 'One Small Step', which won 2019 Remi Award at WorldFest - Houston International Film Festival, was not a one-time fluke. His first feature length film, Cerebrum, has won Special Jury Prize at 2021 WorldFest during its world premier at the closing night.

The idea of storing and reloading memory is merely a yarn knit into a myriad of pieces which Ragu has meticulously stitched together around the central narrative of father-son relationship. James Russo plays the father, Kirk Davis, who has managed to copy the neural structure of a brain onto a micro-chip. The incentive for his research stems from witnessing his wife falling prey to Alzheimer's. Russo's natural portrayal of the father sets the tone of this film early on. A son's reluctance to see his father and their strenuous relationship can be felt through Russo's voice. His son Tom is brilliantly played by Christian James, who carries the baton forward and, without any exaggeration, carries the film to its finish line. Without giving much away, early on in the movie there is a scene in his father's lab that involves memory reload and right after this he is sitting in front of a TV watching a home video tape that his father had recorded, both of these scenes encompass James' acting prowess. He should be nominated and bestowed with awards. In the side cast Andy Pisharody's over-zealous intern, as Bruno, brings the humor and Alexxis Lemire's Chloe is a cool breeze. Ragu has succeeded admirably making every character an essential part of the plot.

On the technical front Jakob Lofberg and Ron McPherson have captured wild west with scorching heat. Jon Blaze's editing and Edward Antonio's music keep the tension afloat. In summary, Cerebrum is a remarkable debut. For film-lovers sci-fi genre is a gateway drug that teases and pushes them to venture into making their first film and invariably they fall into the trap of plot-driven incoherent mess that becomes a copy of a copy of Christopher Nolan. Fortunately, Ragu has resisted that temptation and made Cerebrum a character driven film that is coherent and accessible, without, dare I say, the need of multiple viewings. It is the father-son relationship that drives this drama on a winding road to a satisfying climax, making this sci-fi thriller beat with a warm human heart.

A mother (Vera Farmiga) in a dying labor pain looks up when doctors say her child has died. Doctors and the mother look at the blood-soaked baby in shock when it starts crying. Above all that, the husband shows up with a camcorder. Now that is one bone-chilling creation from a twisted writer, or in this case a pair of writers (David Johnson and Alex Mace). Not sure if that was a necessary introduction for this cleverly written violent opera (Orphan) but honestly it is not the time to judge yet. Not for the sake of saving writers and director's (Jaume Collet-Serra) plea for freedom of expression but for the explanation in the end.

It is tough to find a decent thriller. If you agree the last three best thrillers were James Wan's Saw (2004) and Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense (1999) and Unbreakable (2000). Orphan, a tale of a couple who adopt a girl from an orphanage only to get thrown into a world of mis-deeds, mis-fortunes and mis-takes, could be added as the fourth cleverly twisted thriller of the past two decades. For that not only the writer and director but the shining star of this film Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) should be appreciated with a round of applause. It is not just the idea that is the primary force behind the success but the screenplay fits well to the dark ambiance. The argument of the violence justification perhaps will render itself un-necessary. The writing is hypnotic and shocking. The director does not fail to justice the screenplay. The false impression of ghostly possession of the protagonist leading to a conclusion is very 'Hitchcockian'. In fact the director makes a homage to the famous stop-light-confrontation of the leading lady by her boss in Psycho (1960), if stretched further to Butch-Marcellus confrontation in Pulp Fiction (1994). Another memorable scene is when camera sits next to sleeping Max (Aryana Engineer) in the dark room and the lightning flash from the window shows her adopted sister Esther standing next to her bed. Director accomplishes a horrifying tone to this thriller throughout. Watch for the modification of the studio logos in the beginning of the film.

Isabelle Fuhrman hovers over the film with a winning smile. This 12 yr old actor has a great potential and will help her in her upcoming career. Alongside Aryana Engineer and Jimmy Bennett as siblings have shined as well. Especially Aryana. Wonder how director executed the chilling scenes without affecting all the child stars. Maybe Mr. Kubrick attended the filming in spirit and gave suggestions from The Shining (1980). Finally the parents, play the roles of a believer and a non-believer in each other's theories. Posing as opposing thought invokers for the audience. This is also the writers' achievement.

In a nutshell, if you haven't been scared intelligently then Orphan is waiting for you. Just sit back and bite your nails because you may not find time to chew on the popcorn.