Startling and eerie (The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs))

Member Name: thehud

Product:	The Others (Collectors Edition, 2 DVDs)
Date:	04/11/02 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Chilling

Disadvantages: Not scary enough

Pencil thin and moonlight beautiful, Nicole Kidman has always been a startling actress, featuring in some challenging and memorable films, born of much more substance than those which her ex Tom Cruise has championed. She belies her Australian roots and transcends the earthbound baseness of the flesh.

It is fitting then that this vision of loveliness should be given the chance with the eerie film The Others to come firmly out into the cold light of day to seize the moment. This film is self consciously serious, and avowedly earnest, the sort of studied and mannered exploitation of the supernatural and ghostly which seems to have disappeared without trace these last twenty years.

Ever since the pea soup and the special effect became de rigeur with The Exorcist in the 1970's, the subtlety, touch and dramatic effect have given way to the gore, the bloodthirsty and up front in the field of horror, with Wesley Snipes' Blade series being pretty symptomatic of how modern horror is contrived.

True, there have been some other films which relied on mystery and suspense for their appeal, movies such as The Shining and The Omen, but they also enjoyed their own share of action and in your face rage. The Others is restrained and understated and slow, a challenge indeed to the modern day requirement for gratuitous thrill.

I refuse whatsoever to give you the slightest inkling of the premise of this marvellous and rewarding film, because to do so would destroy the suspense and expectation. It's a skilfully constructed piece of classic horror which will send a chill up your spine, and throughout it Kidman is the captivating central character, troubled and vulnerable, and always just that touch odd.

My word, even the masterly veteran comedian Eric Sykes is in keeping with the mood, and obviously relishing the chance for some highly gripping drama.

I have to say that The Others is not quite the ultimate chiller it as
pires to be and often hints at nearly managing, but it is undoubtedly a well crafted and expertly realised achievement which will endure for more than its initial season.

Sadly, such muted and subtle work is an increasingly rare thing in the new Millennium, more's the pity. It's a delight to have to concentrate to get the best out of a film these days, even though it's easy to develop a bit of a headache.

Nicole Kidman is ideally cast as the deserted mother of two, sickly children who live in a mysterious and eerie mansion in the Channel Islands at the end of World War II, and she obviously revels in the part. In my opinion, she's absolutely rivetting, although I've seen an awful lot of bad reviews and publicity, where the main criticism is that the film is just not nearly scary enough. In a sense, that's not the important thing here, because you've got a thriller-chiller rather than a gore fest and you're not meant to be frightened, just having a number of thoughts provoked within your brain.

I found the whole thing a truly excellent piece of work and have no hesitation in recommending its subtle shades of grey. Trust me.


PS The film is written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar and as well as Kidman and Sykes, it features Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Elaine Cassidy, James Bentley and Alakina Mann, with a late came from Keith Allen.

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