The Others (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: sharktrager

Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	31/12/01 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nicole Kidman

Disadvantages: .

Movies with a 'twist' ending have come into vogue in recent years, largely thanks to the great success of THE SIXTH SENSE. When these twists are done well, such as in that movie and also in UNBREAKABLE, they can leave the audience gasping, desperate to watch the film again (and again) in order to pick up clues which they had missed the first time round. When they are done badly, such as in Tim Burton's recent 're-imagining' of the classic PLANET OF THE APES (which itself had a fantastic twist ending), they simply leave the audience saying 'Huh? Is that it?', scratching their heads, and thinking that they never want to watch that movie again.

Thankfully, Alejandro Amenabar's THE OTHERS falls neatly into the former category. I won't reveal the twist ending as that will spoil it for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, but suffice it to say that looking back on the entire movie in hindsight there are a number of clues dotted around (Why did the postman not pick up the letter? Why did the servants disappear, as if into thin air?). The twist is not original, but it is artfully carried out, and certainly left the audience in the cinema where I saw the movie gasping.

However, the twist is not the only reason to see THE OTHERS. The main reason, in fact, is the excellent Nicole Kidman. I recently read an article which described Kidman as 'not the most versatile of actresses' and I can honestly say that I don?t think that journalist can have seen many of her films. Granted she's made some bad movies (FAR AND AWAY is certainly not my favourite), but she has also made some classics (TO DIE FOR being an early example). Any actress who can follow up MOULIN ROUGE with THE OTHERS and play her parts in both films so well, has got to be described as 'versatile'. I've been a fan of Kidman's since her TV mini-series days of VIETNAM and BANGKOK HILTON (the latter of which is possibly one of the
finest examples of the form), and thankfully she has more than lived up to her promise. Forget the personal life which seems to be spread across all the tabloids - forget Tom, forget Robbie, just concentrate on Nicole and you will see one of the best actresses of her generation (and she can sing too - she even gets an opportunity to, sotto voce, in THE OTHERS).

I was wary of taking my parents to see THE OTHERS as they are both in their 60s and are not fans of horror movies by any stretch of the imagination. My Dad doesn't like going to the cinema much anyway, and my Mum's favourite genre is period drama, and I was a little concerned that a horror movie may be too much for them (even if it is rated '12'). But thankfully THE OTHERS fits into the 'supernatural chiller' side of the horror genre as opposed to the 'blood and gore' side, and for that I am grateful. Amenabar puts across his creepy, atmospheric chills with great skill, and made the audience I saw the film with jump out of their seats on more than one occasion. It's a good, old-fashioned ghost story, and whether or not it gets nominated for any Oscars (which it should do - in fact I think that Kidman should be up against herself for the Best Actress award for her roles in both this and MOULIN ROUGE) it deserves to be seen by a very wide audience.

I have one complaint, but that is more to do with cinema in general, as opposed to THE OTHERS in particular. I saw the film a couple of days after Christmas in a packed auditorium. Despite the fact that the film was a scary one, there were great swaths of people giggling and laughing constantly throughout the movie. I don't mind people having a good time when they go to the cinema - of course that's why they go in the first place - but it should be a good time watching the movie and not to the detriment of other cinema-goers, not a good time having a gossip and a laugh. If they want to do that they should
go elsewhere. Oh, and if the guy whose mobile phone started ringing in the middle of the film but who couldn't find it to turn it off is reading this, take my advice - TURN THE THING OFF BEFORE THE FILM STARTS, or you may find someone will grab it from you and destroy it, and that person will have the support of the vast majority of the rest of the audience!!

Sorry about that little lecture!

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