With her justly acclaimed performance, Kidman maintains an emotional intensity that fuels the film's supernatural underpinnings. And while Amenabar's pacing is deliberately slow, it befits the tone of penetrating anxiety, leading to a twist that extends the story's reach from beyond the grave. Amenabar unveiled a similarly effective twist in his Spanish thriller Open Your Eyes (remade by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky), but where that film drew debate, The Others is finely crafted to provoke well-earned goose bumps and chills down the spine. --Jeff Shannon

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.


We Will Never Leave This House   February 25, 2003
 23 out of 24 found this review helpful

To a certain extent, one's enjoyment of THE OTHERS will depend on how quickly you recognize the major plot device on which the entire film turns. Once recognition sets in, how much you are able to further enjoy the film will then depend on how much you have become engaged by the characters--and it is here, really, that the film stumbles a bit, not so much through the way it is done but rather through the way the characters must be played in order for their behavior to make sense at the film's conclusion.

The premise, which seems deeply influenced by both Henry James' THE TURN OF THE SCREW and the 1960s film version known as THE INNOCENTS, concerns a woman who resides with her two children in an isloated mansion following World War II. Her situation is dire: her husband is missing in action and presumed dead; her children suffer from a rare genetic disease that makes sunlight dangerous to them; her servants have departed in the night without a word of warning. The latter problem seems remedied by the arrival of new servants--but no sooner are they installed than odd happenings begin to occur. Is the woman going mad? Are the servants involved? Have intruders secretly entered the house? Or could it be--something unearthly?

The cast is exceptionally good here, with Fionnula Flanagan as the newly arrived servant Mrs. Mills and children Alakina Mann and James Bentley giving remarkable performances. But the focus is on Nicole Kiddman as Grace, a role that Kiddman plays with a white-knuckled grip and considerable ferocity--so much so that it becomes extremely difficult to like, much less sympathize, with the character. In some respects, however, this is ultimately necessary for this extremely plot-driven film to have any significant impact, and in hindsight it is hard to imagine that the role could be played in any other way; still, hindsight does not allow you to engage fully with the character when you are in the midst of the film. It is a flaw, but it is an unavoidable one--and the film is so remarkably stylish that it largely overcomes both the anticipated plot-twist and Kiddman's necessarily ferocious performance.

The production values are first rate all the way down the line. Everything looks right, sounds right, feels right. But two items deserve special mention: the exceptional soundtrack, which was composed by director Alejandro Amenabar himself, and the stunning cinematography, which has tremendous visual texture and which neatly blends a fluidity of movement with a remarkably claustrophobic feel. If your tastes run to special effects and blood-spatter horror films, you are likely to disappointed, for there are none in THE OTHERS; Amenabar craftily creates tension more via what is suggested rather than shown, and doors left ajar and half-heard sounds are his devices of choice; it is all very subtle and yet remarkably chilling.

The DVD package is a double-disk set, with the film on one disk and bonuses on the other. Although the bonuses are often quite interesting--particularly a documentary on individuals who actually suffer from hyper-sensitively to sunlight--they actually contribute little to the film itself, and it is a bit surprising that such a small bonus package would require a second disk. The sound for the feature is also problematic re home viewing, and I recommend that viewers play it at top volume, for there is no middle ground--everything is very quiet or very loud, and the contrast adds tremendously to the film's effect.

It is extremely difficult to know how to rate this film, for as I've noted the very nature of the story has two embedded flaws: the almost inevitable recognition of the major plot device and the necessity of Kiddman's over-the-top performance. But even though I recognized the nature of the plot device very early in the film, and even though I found "Grace" an unlikeable woman, this did not actually prevent me from feeling the icy breath with which director Amenabar endows THE OTHERS. Torn between giving the film four stars and five, I err on the side of generosity; it is a classic-style ghost story, and I think most viewers will enjoy it. Reccommended.


THE OTHERS squeezed into top spot on a personal point   April 17, 2002
 20 out of 24 found this review helpful

why did I love this movie so much? Well, it basically contained all of the ideal elements working together to create a unique film with indelible atmosphere, believable performances, genuinely frightening undertones and an engaging mystery, that had me guessing all the way. Of course, the film's ending is what likely has people talking the most, but I was hooked pretty much the whole way through. From the awesome visuals, to the amazing performance by Nicole Kidman, to the creepy score, the believable kids, the genuinely engaging story-line, to the goosebumps that I got during several key scenes, I loved every aspect of this film, and its final denouement only concretized all of that for me.

I love movies like this because there's a sense of reality behind them, a believability factor with an actual capacity to tap into some of our most unknown fears. The truth about ghosts, the afterworld, haunted houses...are notions that none of us could pretend to factually know much about, but movies as such always seem to crack open the greater possibilities in our minds. Kudos to everyone involved in this amazing production for bringing a good ol' classic ghost story back to the big screen, along with a nifty little twist.


A true Masterpiece! Smart, lush, suspenseful!   June 1, 2002
 14 out of 16 found this review helpful

Alejandro Amenabar is the creative genius behind the Cruise/Wagner sleeper hit, The Others starring Nicole Kidman. I hadn't seen this film in the theatres and fortunately, no one had spoiled the ending for me. Thank God, because part of this movies attraction is the way the plot unfolds little by little, setting up a mystery that's a lot of fun to guess at. It's a truly "Hitchcockian" storyline that teases the audience throughout the film. I had to watch this film twice to pick up on all the subtle clues.
Aside from the great story, the acting in this film is fantastic. I've heard people say that Nicole Kidman is the star of this movie, but the one who really shines is new comer Alkina Mann who plays Kidmans daughter. Her reactions are so real and geniune you forget she's an actor playing a character.
This movie is also scary. If the Blair Witch Project had you squirming and you liked The Sixth Sense, this movie will have you jumping out of your skin in some places.
It's amazing to think that this is Alejandro Amenabars first English speaking movie. Not only that but he wrote it, directed it AND did the music for it, which is nicely stark, baroque and very beautiful in some places. A true cinematic Masterpiece.
Story A+
Cinematography A+
Acting A+
Costumes A+
Music A+
See this film!


--And Things That Go Bump In the Night   June 29, 2002
 12 out of 13 found this review helpful

This eerie, candlelit film mostly taking place in a large but claustrophobic manor house exerts a static pressure that is relentless. So many doors and all must be locked, unlocked, and relocked. Curtains must be closed at all times, then drawn tighter lest a ray of lights gets through. The two children of the house have a rare genetic allergy to light (Polymorphic Light Reaction Syndrome) and can suffer blisters, boils, even 3rd degree burns if exposed to sunlight. The time is 1945, the mother and children are alone in the house, the husband/father is missing in action, presumed dead

While the credits roll, the mother, Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) is reading to the children by candlelight. All are seated around a table presenting a homey, if somewhat shadowy, scene. The movie formally begins with a petrifying scream by Grace jolted awake from a nightmare in her pleasant sun-filled bedroom. She quickly dresses and rushes to answer the doorbell. Nicole Kidman convinces in a glance that her character is strung out taut as a bowstring, but striving to contain her many fears and anxieties. She dresses in a dowdy manner---skirt a bit long, dowdy shoes, and sensible tweeds. She has a remarkable resemblance to the late Grace Kelly in this film, which I think shows Kidman's forensic abilities. Kidman is naturally graceful, which Kelly was not. The mother's edgy movements and slight awkwardness heighten her fragility and rigid inflexibility.

A strange trio greets her at the door who inform her they have come in response to her need for servants. (Grace has not yet advertised). They are housekeeper Mrs. Mills (the marvelous Fionnula Flanagan, who is presently appearing in the Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood in a completely different type of role), a Gardner, and a mute girl-of-all-work. Grace, though flustered, immediately shows them around and explains their complicated duties. They meet the two children who are quickly drawn to the kindly Ms. Mills. The little girl Anne (Alakina Mann) is especially commendable for her perfect balance of sweetness, suspicions, and stubbornness that always seem just right for a very bright little girl.

Particularly grating on the mother is the ghostly goings on in the old house. Music plays, doors open and shut, footsteps are heard, and the children refer to a boy named Victor who visits them. These occurrences are almost too much for the mother who has an unbending, fundamental, religious outlook. The servants obviously know a lot more than they are saying about what is going on in the house.

This somber, almost stately film has a jolting crash of a conclusion. So startling was this finale, the moviegoer does not even have time to grasp the consequences---and it is over. An excellent film. Kudos to the director and his star!