...and in the darkness, bind them (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: TJ-Mackey

Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	16/11/01 (255 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent acting, impressive direction, great atmosphere

Disadvantages: Slightly unoriginal plot elements

Hurrah for the good old-fashioned ghost story. It's not often that a well-used genre such as this produces a genuinely enjoyable film, and so it was with pleasant surprise that I left the cinema after seeing The Others. With his first English-language film, director Alejandro Amenábar has created a scary and wonderfully atmospheric tale of a creepy old house and some very strange goings on...

The Others is very much one of those films where the imagination of the audience is key, and where the scares come not from what you see on screen, but from what you don't. Footsteps echo through the floor, a piano plays in the middle of the night, and there's a constant feeling of a presence in the room with you. The foreboding mansion in which the film is shot certainly helps accentuate this feeling of uneasiness, as does the ever-present fog that hangs in the air outside.

Set shortly after the war, the house is home to Grace (a superb Nicole Kidman) and her two children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). Both the children suffer from an unfortunate condition called photosensitivity, which prevents them from being exposed to sunlight, and this, along with a missing husband, is beginning to take its toll on Grace. To make matters worse, her servants have upped and left for no apparent reason, leaving her to run the huge house and look after the children all by herself.

The arrival of three new servants would appear to be a stroke of luck for Grace, but as the days pass, several strange occurrences begin to scare the children, and place their safety, and Grace's sanity, in jeopardy. Who are the 'others' who seem to share the house with the family, and do the odd new servants know more than they're letting on?

As a chilling ghost story, The Others undoubtedly succeeds. Although slow-moving to begin with, Amenábar expertly builds up the tension with some measured direction, suggestive camerawork and a
dramatic musical score. He also draws believable performances from the whole cast, and while it is Kidman who stands out, the children are also impressive, and Fionnula Flanagan shines as Mrs. Mills, the senior servant.

The character of Grace is an interesting one as she is more complex than first appearances might suggest. The reasons for her rigorous application of rules regarding the house (every door must be locked before another is opened) isn't immediately made apparent to the audience. In fact, her strict guidelines are there to protect Anne and Nicholas, and before long we begin to see how her strong religious beliefs are often in conflict with her obvious love for her children. It is these beliefs that (initially) make it so hard for Grace to believe the strange occurrences are nothing more than a trick of the mind (or the inventiveness of a child).

Nicole Kidman has always been a competent actress, but I don't think I've seen her give a better performance than the one here. She is equally impressive when playing the reserved parent as she is when sliding towards desperation, and the range and believability of her performance is outstanding. So much so, in fact, that you'll really be able to empathise with a character that may well have drawn different emotions if played by a less capable actress.

Admittedly, the plot of the film is slightly predictable at times, and the slow pacing may not be to everyone's tastes, but there's also a lot to appreciate about The Others. Amenábar has a perfect handling of tension, and knows exactly when to build up suspense and when to release it. Because of this, you'll be drawn effortlessly into the story, and as long as you don't try to second-guess the plot, you should really enjoy the film. It's not a horror by any means, but if a thrilling ghost story sounds like your kind of movie, I'd definitely recommend The Others.

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