'There's going to be some big surprises...' (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: ben_83

Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	03/12/01 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning direction, outstanding acting, surprises proliferate, it's very scary

Disadvantages: Is it too similar to 'The Sixth Sense'?

It's between three and four on a cold October's morning and all is quiet. I'm sitting slumped in my armchair trying to stay awake for what was undoubtedly one of the best baseball postseasons in history, covered in shards of ready salted crisps and desperately parched but too tired and/or lazy to go and get another drink. Suddenly, I hear the familiar muzak sting that signals an advert break and am just about to slope off to the fridge to find some liquid when a trailer for film called 'The Others' appears on the screen. I stop, curious, and watch in amazement as what is undeniably a straight rip-off of 'The Sixth Sense' is sold to me. My God, I think to myself, who on earth would want to see something so derivative?

Me, apparently, and I did, after hearing a string of good reviews. But is it any good?

The answer, in short, is 'yes, surprisingly so' but I am getting ahead of myself so let me first outline the plot to you.

It's 1945 and Nicole Kidman plays Grace, a devoutly Christian mother of two young children - Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley) - whose husband Charles (Christopher Eccleston) is away at war. She, the children and servants Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) and the mute Lydia (Elaine Cassidy) live in a large house on Jersey which has to be kept dark because Anne and Nicholas are photosensitive: allergic to bright light to the point where sustained exposure could kill them. When Anne starts talking of another, seemingly invisible family living in the house and demanding they leave, Grace initially thinks she's just making up stories to scare her younger brother. However, as the film goes on, Grace becomes increasingly convinced that there are intruders in the house and drives herself almost to insanity trying to find the German soldiers, demons or ghosts but, in reality, the people Anne has been seeing aren't any of these.

As this s
hort synopsis might suggest, my initial instincts about 'The Others' were, to a degree, correct. The basic premise, some of the plot devises and the atmosphere of the film do remind the viewer strongly of 'The Sixth Sense' but don't let this put you off - there are plenty of reasons to go and see it all the same.

One of these is the direction. Young Chilean Alejandro Amenábar (who also wrote the screenplay) impresses greatly with his third film, always keeping the tension high and the atmosphere thick. The half-light that most of the scenes are shot in (due to Anne and Nicholas's photosensitivity) add greatly to the fear factor and the minimal amount of noise emanating from the speakers (the house is kept quiet on Grace's request and incidental music is used sparingly, although to great effect) is very refreshing. The fact that the film manages to be extremely scary without resorting to any of the usual devices (read: copious amounts of blood) is testament to Amenábar's talent.

Nicole Kidman has shown in recent years that, despite finding fame through her marriage with Tom Cruise, she is a more than capable actress. In 'The Others' she continues to impress. Her performance of a complex character going through a whole glut of emotions - paranoia, fear for her children, worry for her husband, questioning of her faith - is utterly convincing and confirms her place amongst the best actresses in Hollywood (it is, therefore, a shame she had to go an spoil it all by doing something stupid like releasing a Christmas single with Robbie Williams). Both child actors, suprisingly enough, are excellent too and Fionnula Flanagan also impresses, making sure the viewer is never sure what her character's motives towards Grace and the children are.

The plot, despite my misgivings aired at the start of this opinion, never fails to surprise with each and every twist it introduces into the mix and I didn't notice
any inconsistencies in dialogue, always the sign of a good screenplay.

Before I end, though, I must offer a warning to any parents reading this. 'The Others' is rated '12' and, while this would seem perfectly reasonable considering that violence, swearing and anything more than a hint of sexual activity are completely absent, it is an incredibly scary film. There are certain moments in it (namely the marionette scene and the cupboard scene) which almost gave me a coronary and I'm a cynical and wizened eighteen-year-old. If I had seen it when I was twelve I have no doubt that I wouldn't have been able to go to sleep for a month.

I am torn by 'The Others'. There is no doubting it is a highly competent and enjoyable piece of cinema made by a very talented director and played by a cast who are, without exception, outstanding. I'm sure that, for these reasons, it is worth five stars but there will always be a niggling voice in the back of my mind reminding me that 'The Sixth Sense' did it first.

Summary: