Fantastic acting, complex storyline, subtle direction, perfect film (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: Cwej1

Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	06/12/01 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Actually quite scary! :o, Thought-provoking, Perfect acting all round

Disadvantages: Maybe the pace might be a bit slow for some!?

This film blew me away. I wasn't expecting much, which might be why it hit me so directly. I'd heard comparisons to The Haunting, a bad film if ever I've seen one - and yes, I can see why. Old haunted house being the setting of the film pretty much throughout and yes the film is a ghost story, which is about all I knew about the film before going to see it.

The story revolves around Grace (Nicole Kidman) who lives in a mansion with her two children Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). The children suffer from a rare-disease which prevents them from being exposed to light, a fantastic device used ultimately to make sure that the house is always dark and eery. Brilliant idea. Grace's old servants disappeared mysteriously a week ago so enter their replacements Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) and Lydia. Suffice it to say there are plenty of spooky moments and Anne sees the ghosts that no-one else sees. That is as much as I'm giving you - watch it for the rest.

Hardcore horror/chiller movie watchers might be put off by the film's mild 12 certificate, but do not let this turn you off. This film IS SCARY. Not just in the sudden jumps department (and there was one BRILLIANT 'jump' moment which had the whole audience giggling in embarrassment at their own pathetic gasps of shock) but in the psychological department. Alejandro Amenábar has paced this film perfectly to give you just the right number of false alarms and subtle touches, without you becoming a complacent audience member.

More importantly the script makes you think. You will be questioning the film throughout. The audience just keeps thinking, where is this going?! Stick with it because the story keeps taking more and more unexpected turns, until the final culminating shock moment.

Aside from the story, the acting is a very notable part in this film. Nicole Kidman in the 'scared-but-being-brave-for-the-chi
ldren' role gets the balance perfectly, her English accent being almost faultless and her failure to resort to a melodramatic overacting admirable. But Nicole doesn't do it all on her own. If any of you have seen the largely awful attempts at acting from a child cast in Harry Potter recently, you will be blown away by Alakina Mann and James Bentley's believable and deeply felt performances. These kids are nearing the same league as Haley Joel Osment and some of the argument scenes between Alakina and Nicole are up there with the best. Their levels of fear and paranoia, also perfectly played. And Fionnula Flanagan's Mrs. Mills alternated between sinister and warm wonderfully, making you keep guessing about her role in the film throughout.

I keep saying you will keep guessing throughout - however, I'm sure avid filmgoers will pick up the clues and work out what's going on very early on. Looking back it is quite obvious and I feel silly. It's like a jigsaw and if you put the pieces together in the right order you will see what's going on clear as day - I didn't and feel better for the fact I didn't. As a result the finale was powerful and deep for me.

Nicole Kidman seems to be going on to bigger and better things without her man. She showed a duo of powerful performances in Eyes Wide Shut and Moulin Rouge - and this is just proof that she's getting better and better. I personally think her acting in The Others is much stronger than that in Moulin Rouge and was surprised to see her nominated for an Academy Award for the latter. Anyway, helped by a good script and brilliant supporting cast and a formidable director - what could possibly go wrong?

By the way, I simply cannot wait to re-view this film. Out in 3 weeks time to rent and (I think) buy! :)

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