Esther is such a cutie pie (mild spoiler warning)

Rating: 9/10 (5 May 2013)

What this film did brilliantly is that it tricked this viewer into believing there was some supernatural element to Esther, the protagonist of this lovely little adorable flick.
We know there is something odd about the freckle faced Russian cutie pie who the Coleman family adopt and take home as an addition to their family, but we are left questioning exactly what that is till the very end of the film when something quite unexpected is revealed to us.
As a viewer of suspense films that depict supernatural elements at work, most viewers might be tricked into thinking that there is something ghostly or spectral about Esther, or that she is just a psychotic child, or a vampire, or a mutant of some kind. But the truth is something much more interesting and unique, and consequently possible, however remotely this might be (owing to the existence of such rare cases).
For the first three quarters of the film you are treated to the adorably psychotic inclinations of a child who we know very little about, other than that she is picked up at an orphanage by a couple, the wife having suffered a recent Miscarriage. As Esther shows her increasingly dark tendencies you cannot help but fall in love with her even more, paradoxically. She is able to dance the fine line between murderous little psychopath and adorable, gentle and lovable little raggedy anne doll that you just want to hug hug hug (checking for sharp objects first of course) and give all your love to.
There is a sort of controversial romance scene toward the end of the film which has left a few viewers feeling uncomfortable, but once you ascertain the truth about the child the reason for the scene falls into place. Besides, the medium of film is an art form that should portray any and all possibilities in life. It is the job of the filmmaker to leave audiences shocked, questioning judgments and even feeling slightly off put, if the occasion should call for it.
This film definitely has a unique enough premise to be memorable to this viewer. And I plan to revisit it again in the company of family and friends