The Others (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition)
The Others (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition)
Screen sensation Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE, EYES WIDE SHUT) delivers an utterly unforgettable performance in this scary and stylish suspense thriller. While awaiting her husband’s return from war, Grace (Kidman) and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded island mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive and it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to his house than can be seen, Grace finds herself in a harrying fight to save her children and keep her sanity. Acclaimed by critics everywhere, the unpredictable twists and turns of this compelling hit will keep you guessing as it keeps you riveted to the edge of your seat!A welcome throwback to
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The Best Ghost Story Ever Made,
I don’t want to write too much because I don’t want to spoil the surprises for the spectators, but I highly recommend this movie if you like an atmospheric, spooky, intelligent, highly suspenseful, involving, beautifully crafted, acted movie with a story that will leave you quite amazed, satisfied, and wanting to see it again. Trust me, this is not your typical ghost story. Spanish director Amenabar should get the Oscar for this thrilling thriller. It’s beautiful and even moving. I was not expecting to see a film in the same vein as The Sixth Sense that’s better than The Sixth Sense. To use a Hollywood equation it’s The Sixth Sense meets Turn of the Screw. Nicole Kidman is awesome. The rest of the cast is superb. The fog-drenched cinematography adds the right touch of mystery and horror. And get ready for one of the scariest quick-cuts in movie history when you least expect it! Have fun!
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|Art, entertainment and many subtle layers and messages,
This movie has a number of levels, many of which are not immediately apparent because of the excellent acting, near perfect casting and exquisite cinematography. On the artistic level the movie will appeal more to artists and writers, and to those who enjoy a well crafted plot and a surprise ending.
On another level, though, this movie will inspire a self examination of how one perceives realities. It does this by exposing the filters and assumptions that we all use when observing and mentally correlating those observations with our knowledge of fact into our realities. It also has an obvious message about coexistence and acceptance.
Regardless of whether or not one believes in the supernatural, the story and the ending will be completely unexpected for most who watch this movie. The many clues wrapped in foreshadowing and other plot devices will not make sense until the end, but if you carefully examine them a day or so after watching this movie you’ll have some keen insights into your own unique set of filters and assumptions that you use daily.
There are other levels and messages within this movie that will surface days or weeks after watching it, such as the way the female characters are portrayed as more proactive, central figures than the male characters. The movie also challenges religious beliefs in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. I am not sure if this is yet another subtle layer of the plot or if it reflects the views and biases of the writers and director – but these elements are there.
If you enjoy great dialog and a masterful story with an interesting plot that is presented with beautiful visuals then you’ll love this movie on an artistic level. If you enjoy mental challenges and subtlety that is presented with social and cogitative challenges you’ll love this movie on a deeper level.
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|Strikingly original and genuinely scary.,
Highly atmospheric and foreboding, “The Others” is unlike any ghost story I’ve seen since Robert Wise’s “The Haunting” in 1963. Director Alejandro Amenabar brings to the screen a uniquely chilling tale that slowly makes its way under our skin until it’s almost unbearable. I don’t know which aspect of the film I liked better: the ominous setting where the eerie story takes place, or the magnificent performance from Nicole Kidman.
Kidman plays Grace, a mother of two children living in an expansive New England mansion surrounded by a ceaseless fog and dry vegetation. When three house servants show up at her door, they are bewildered by the manner in which Grace runs the household, closing each door before opening another, and closing any and all curtains to prevent all sunlight from invading the rooms.
We learn the sunlight is harmful to her young children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). From the beginning, Anne speaks of a past event that occurred between her and her mother, and of apparitions throughout the house. Grace dismisses her comments as rubbish, but becomes increasingly uneasy once she begins hearing voices in the upstairs rooms, and finds that doors in the house open and close by themselves without a key.
As the movie progresses, Amenabar creates a distinctly uneasy atmosphere in which even the audience knows better than to look at this house as little more than an expensive home. From a continuous fog to the whisperings of voices and things that go bump in the night, the scares come not from what we see, but what we don’t see, which is even scarier than you may think. Amenabar proves that one needn’t be subjected to a special effect in order to be frightened.
What helps the movie is the fact that it has a solid story to back its scares. What starts out as a slow-moving introduction to the characters and settings evolves into a first-class mystery on par with such mysteries as “The Sixth Sense,” though this film’s clues are much more apparent. You may have found the pieces to the puzzle involving the three housekeepers, but that doesn’t mean you’ve solved the film’s resolution, which is an unexpected gem.
The real delight comes from the involving performance from Nicole Kidman, who evokes much of the fear throughout the film. There are times when she slowly makes her way into rooms to investigate suspicious noises, her eyes growing wider with psychological fear, and times when she becomes frantic, such as when she searches desperately for the curtains taken from the windows.
“The Others” may very well be one of the best scare films we’ve ever seen. Amenabar gives his unique story a sense of fear that comes from the mind. In a decade of born-again slasher pics and gory bloodshed and mayhem, it’s nice to be able to embrace something entirely different from the rest.
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