The Others - Slow first half, brilliant 2nd half (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: Palmer89

Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	30/07/09 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Slow start

Disadvantages: Ending and acting

(Film only review)

The Others, a film starring Nicole Kidman as the mother and lone mother of her 2 children in a mansion in jersey, Anne and Nicholas are the 2 children. The film starts as 3 caretakers are employed to help Grace (Kidman) in her challenge if keeping her children alive and well (more difficult than first said when realising they had an allergy to any sunlight).

The story follows on from strange occurances in the house, the curtains keep opening and the doors become either unlocked or the piano unlocked, and Anne keeps seeing some old woman and a young boy called Victor along with his mother. Grace, not believing Anne decided to punish her every time she 'lied' but after a while even Grace found some strange goings on...

I must say that I was not hugely impressed with this film for the firat half or so, it was more of a drama than any kind of horror or thriller, but then it suddenly came alive, it was a very slow first 50 minutes or so, it wasn't until the caretakers became involved with the whole story and Grace started to realise that something was going on. It was however the ending that really put this film onto another level, I don't think this is a top top quality thriller/horror, there's definatly some very creepy parts and drama but it was the ending that did it for me, I certainly wasn't expecting the ending and it fits perfectly and makes the story all worthwhile for me, was a very big twist and perfect for the film, for me it made the film, it became a very good film rather than an average, mediocre attempt at a thiller.

The acting was very good, there is only one main lead in this film, that is Nicole Kidman who fits the strict mother role extremley well, she does scared very well also. Christoper Ecclestone plays a small bit part as the father to Anne and Nicholas and Graces husband, but he is on screen for all on 5 minutes in total, the 3 servants are the other main characters along with Grace and the children, a mute who cannot speak, a groundsman and the maid/cleaner/cook who seems to be the 2nd lead in this film along with Kidman.

The film is classed as a psycholgical thriller/horror, it's certainly alot more thriller than horror, there are numerous jumpy moments and certainly a few creepy shots, in particular with the old woman as Graces child and the paitings face in the dim light behind Grace, there was alot more drama and thriller though than anything else, which is shown towards the end of the film, a drama/thriller with a little horror would be a more apty sub genre for this film.

Overall then, is this film any good, yes, it is. The film does start of slow and it progresses at a similar slow pace, not alot does happen for the first 40 minutes or so, in particular Ecclestones appearance just seemed to be eaking out the minutes rather than anything meaningful to the film (although his chacter is involved in the ending and ultimate fate of the family...), this film for me was a mediocre 3* film until the final 15 minutes, when all of a sudden everything is explained and the ending revealed, the shots of the current/past families in particular were very clever and a shock factore which is one of the best in film history, perhaps because it was such a good twist on a rather mediocre film at that point.

Watch it, not for the first half, the 2nd half certainly makes the wait and patience worth while though.

Summary: Great film purely for the ending