2001’s “The Others”, written and directed by Alejandro
Amenábar.
Starring Nicole Kidman, David Tennant, Fionnula Flanagan,
Alakina Mann, Anne Stewart, James Bentley, Nicholas Stewart, Eric Sykes, and Elaine
Cassidy.
What is it about?
Set in 1953, deeply religious Nicole Kidman lives in a darkened
mansion with her 2 photosensitive children (Anne Stewart and James Bentley). Left
to fend for themselves as they wait for husband (David Tennant) to come back
from WWII, Kidman accepts the help of 3 housekeepers (Fionnula Flanagan, Eric
Sykes, and Elaine Cassidy). They are a little odd, and their presence seems to
set the children off- with them being aware of supernatural visitors in their
monstrous home. With a fog surrounding the home, Kidman starts to see and hear
things, and does everything she can to protect her children from intruders.
Will she be able to save both her children and her sanity?
Why is it worth seeing?
The “Others” is a throwback to horror films of old, with a
patience, reasonable budget, and emphasis on performance and mood that slasher
films and self aware hip homages to the genre could learn a lot from. Director
Amenábar also writes and scores the film, and gives it a personality and
ambience that’s unique, personal, and feels consistent from start to finish.
Kidman is electric as the devout Catholic mother who wants
to protect her children. Her performance is a bewilderingly ferocious
combination of rigidity, maternal instinct, and fear, as things spiral out of
control right from under her. Refusing to admit that ghosts exist as she runs
around the house, it’s difficult to not feel for her.
It’s a bummer that “Others” came out so close after, “The Sixth Sense”, as both
have parallels that rob it of some of it’s originality. And a late night
viewing is not necessarily recommended, considering the film’s somewhat glacial
pace. Finally, I’m rarely a fan of child actors, and both of the children here very
much remind me of horror characters- never a good thing. But it’s originality,
consistent tone, and religious questions make it a spooky treat.
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