The Others: horror and wit? [a review-let]
Written: Aug 14 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Intelligent. Immersive plot. Loving camera work. Undeniably creepy.
Cons: Well-nigh perfect. Lacks perfect elegance in construction, but comes pretty darn close.
The Bottom Line: A summer surprise. The Others breaks the mold. It is a truly intelligent horror that will reaffirm your faith in moviemaking.
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| benho's Full Review: |
I have a penchant for verbosity. My typical reviews have a habit of running into the thousands of words. This is part two in my “review-let” experiment, on trying something different...
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I thought The Others is a film that I normally would only see if dragged kicking and screaming, or if it starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt both (which it doesn't). It appeared to be standard horror fare, like I still, once again, really this time, know what you did last summer. You know, the kind where you have some plot, then the music fades, then silence, then... Boo! Over and over and over again. The Others is indeed of that genre, but the difference is, The Others is a smart movie.
Set immediately following the second World War, Nicole Kidman is the puritanical "goody" mother of two, living in a large creaky old house on an isolated desolate British isle. Her children are "allergic to sunlight" and are thus sequestered in the well-curtained isolated estate. Upon the sudden disappearance of her former household staff, the film begins with Kidman taking on three new ones, elderly folk who seem to know the house too well. Before long, unexplained oddities start to occur.
Throughout the film, it remains unclear whether these “events” are mental figments or childish fantasies, infantile pranks or a malicious plot. Religious themes are introduced, as is the imagery of ghosts in sheets and chains, but the viewer is perpetually left ill-informed and thus perpetually ill-at-ease.
The Others is a horror movie after all, and this intelligent uneasiness is the heart of the movie's impact. However, the technicals were also well done. Auteur, Alejandro Amenábar, demonstrates a very loving use of the camera. In the opening scene, the camera lies on its side besides Kidman, in repose on her bed. We slowly sit up, but our gaze remains fixed on her sullen expression. The music, composed by Amenábar as well (an interesting cohabitation of talents) was appropriately mood setting, but there was little novelty, musically, from the classic: music, music fade, silence, BOO cycle. Amenábar should stick to writing/directing because it was the intellectual setup and riveting atmosphere that made his “BOOs” hideously frightful, rather than merely startling. Sound editing, though, was impeccable. Find a theatre with a good sound system. As creeks and groans emerge from all around you, it was an immersion that goes beyond the mental and into the physical.
Kidman demonstrates her range here, her performance was convincing, and the small supporting cast is effective. However, it is Amenábar that steals the show here.
In the end, it was the NYTimes review that convinced me to see The Others, and the NYTimes review rightly points out that this is a film that begs comparison with The Sixth Sense. Like the The Sixth Sense, The Others deals with the supernatural in a smart way; unlike The Sixth Sense, it is not as fastidious in creating a rigid framework, a set of rules, rules that would make the supernatural that much more real, and thus more effective. However, this is only a slight quibble. For all those disappointed by this summer's movie fare, here is one that bucks the trend.
Final Grade: A-/B+
Epilogue:
I just want to b!tch a bit here. Friday was the first time I have ever been annoyed by an audience. Cell phone beeps of various flavors erupted not once but four times, one clever moron insisted on shouting witty remarks from time to time, and a cleverer compatriot thought it would be a good idea to bring a baby. And yet, I still remained creeped out. Kudos to Amenábar.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
benho
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Member: Ben Ho
Location: New York, NY, USA
Reviews written: 65
Trusted by: 52 members
About Me:
The end (of grad school) is near... off now to teach in cold Ithaca.
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