Pretty interesting movie, a cut above your usual horror flick. I like it!

Rating: Null/10 (5 January 2010)

The story involves a 30-something couple who have a normal son and a young daughter who is deaf. As the story unfolds we find out by bits and pieces that the wife has had a drinking problem, and that was probably responsible for their third child being stillborn. She also apparently lost a college level music teaching job because of her drinking problem, but she appears to be dry for good.
They decide they want another child and after much consideration and counseling decide to visit the orphanage to find another daughter via adoption. While the husband is aimlessly wandering around the building he comes upon a 9-year-old girl who is very personable and is a fine artist. She is from Russia, the husband and wife both like her, and after a few weeks to process the adoption the girl goes home with them, the newest member of their family.
But things are anything but smooth, both at home and at school. The parents begin to wander if they made a big mistake with this girl.
Vera Farmiga, sort of an "everywomen" actress, is the mother, Kate Coleman. Peter Sarsgaard, who seems to be showing up everywhere, is the father, John Coleman. Although they never discuss his occupation he appears to be a successful architect and they live in a nice community in Connecticut.
The adopted girl is played expertly by American actress Isabelle Fuhrman, as Esther. She turned 11 during the filming. She adopts a slight Russian accent that seems believable for a young girl who has been in the States for a few years.
Other key characters are veteran CCH Pounder as Sister Abigail. Jimmy Bennett is the son, Daniel. And cute little Aryana Engineer is the deaf daughter, Max (Maxine).
The developments in the story are for the most part not predictable, and kept us guessing most of the time. There were a few parts that weren't very credible, but overall a worthwhile movie.
MAJOR SPOILERS: As things happen, and as the parents begin looking into Esther's past, they see a pattern. While she is never actually caught doing anything wrong, she always seems to be present when certain bad things happen. A fire, a broken leg, a death. So when they finally get to her origin they find out she is not a 9-year-old girl, but in fact a 30-something with a type of dwarfism that makes her look young. She also escaped from an institution and is (as we already knew) dangerous. In her adopted family she was out to destroy all the others and have the dad for herself. In an eerie scene near the end, she puts on makeup and dresses like an adult, and tries to seduce him. The final scene is outside, in the snow, between Esther and the mom, they break through the ice into the pond, Esther with a knife, but mom manages a kick to the head that sends Esther, dead or unconscious, down to the bottom. But dad was already dead. Note: In an alternate ending on the DVD, Esther didn't die but walked out of the house dressed again as a young girl, as the police went in to hunt for a criminal.