The Art of Suspense (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

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Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	11/10/02 (24 review reads)
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Just when we all thought we'd seen the back of the good old fashioned creepy ghost story along comes The Others, a good old fashioned creepy ghost story. Starring Nicole Kidman in her second great role and performance of the year (if you haven't already checked out Moulin Rouge you should).

The Others was the surprise sleeper hit of Fall 2001. Directed by Spaniard Alejandro Amenabar (who directed Spanish thriller 'Open Your Eyes' recently remade as Vanilla Sky) and produced by the now ex Mr and Mrs Cruise, The Others is a welcome return to the art of suspense, as opposed to the often very poor modern schlock horror bloodfests that seem to appear in our movie theatres on a weekly basis. Set in the English channel island of Jersey shortly after its occupation by German forces during World war II, Grace (Nicole Kidman) is a single mother, apparently widowed, struggling to bring up her children in an old mansion, lacking in basic amenities such as electricity, which was cut off during the war. This is complicated further by the fact that her children suffer from a rare but potentially life-threatening allergy to sunlight and her daughter's claims that the house is haunted. In need of new servants, three mysteriously appear out of the fog BUT did they respond to Grace's advertisement or does their arrival signal a more sinister turn of events?

Director, Alejandro Amenabar skilfully takes us on a tour of Grace's impossibly large and foreboding house, permanently in semi-darkness and surrounded by fog. From a slow start and be warned it is a slow start, he slowly but steadily cranks up the tension and suspense, posing more questions than he gives answers, slowly building a grip around your heart and squeezing gently. Nicole Kidman shines as the stern mother losing her mind (although in my opinion her Oscar nominated performance in Moulin Rougeis better) and she is ably supported by Eric Sykes as the gardener Mr Tuttle, the two
children (Alakina Mann and James Bentley), Christopher Eccleston and in particular, the excellent Fionnula Flannagan as the housekeeper. And although you might just guess the ending before all is revealed, this is still an excellent old fashioned ghost story that (in my opinion) surpasses the likes of 'What lies Beneath' and unless you strongly dislike slow paced films I would highly recommend this

I really didn't fancy this much, as I am not really a big Nicole Kidman fan, I haven't really liked any of her films before this, but what a surprise!! She was really good in this film, though I had to turn the sound up really loud at the beginning, as it is all whispers. Whether this is to make the film more atmospheric, I couldn't say, but I did find it a bit annoying at first! However, once I'd settled into the film, I loved it!! It is a sort of 'old-fashioned' thriller, and not just because it's set just after the war, I mean in the whole way it is done. The story is really very good, though I was puzzled in parts of it, not least when her husband returns home, but all becomes clear eventually. There are many twists and turns, and some are quite predictable. However, the ending was not at all what I had guessed, and I was completely gob-smacked!! I have since watched it again, and I am still as amazed as I was the first time I saw it. All in all, I think it is a very good film, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. I have changed my mind about Nicole Kidman on the strength of this performance. I had her down as just being a pretty face, and of course, the ex-Mrs.Tom Cruise, but she has proved herself to be more than that. She is able to carry this film off, without over-acting, or becoming tiresome. I defy anyone not to be completely wrong about the end of this film. I certainly was!!

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