The Others

The Others is set on a small isolated European island in 1945. A young mother, Grace (Nicole Kidman) makes a home for her two infirm children (Alakina Mann, James Bentley) in a dark and drafty mansion while her husband is off fighting the Germans. The children's infirmity makes them violently ill when exposed to sunlight so Grace must be ever vigilant to keep doors and curtains shut.

When all of the family's servants abruptly leave, Grace is forced to place an ad in the local paper for replacements. Three mysterious people arrive in answer (Eric Sykes, Elaine Cassidy, Fionnula Flanagan) but it soon becomes clear that there is more to the house and the servants then at first it appears.

In the artificial darkness of their desolate mansion, Grace's daughter Anne is the first to tell tales of other worldly visitors in the house. But is she making this all up to scare her younger brother Nicholas? Strange phenomena begin to occur throughout the house and even skeptical Grace can no longer ignore it. Grace must fight to keep her family safe and not loose her sanity in the process, but who is the enemy? Is Grace loosing her mind? Are there ghosts in the house? Or are the three mysterious servants the cause of their terror?

While I enjoyed The Others, I found it wanting. It could have been a spectacular film. Kidman was excellent in her portrayal of Grace as is evident from her Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. She perfectly captured the essence of the role. Her range of emotion was tremendous. Watching her seemingly border on the edge of insanity was fascinating. Fionnula Flanagan also showed a great range of ability from nurturing to down right creepy. I'm surprised that she was overlooked for a nomination for best supporting actress. It was a treat watching the two together on screen. 

Set design and art direction were very well done but should have done a little more to push the surreal feeling they were trying for. The special effects were very fine if not a little understated. They are well done in a way that isn't typical of Hollywood these days, adding atmosphere more than punch. The music in the film is outstanding. Normally I only notice when the music distracts from a film but in the case of The Others I found the story told by the music almost more compelling than the one I was watching.

Perhaps my single biggest disappointment with this film was its predictability. For a movie that has been billed as a psychological thriller, its plot twists should have left you guessing for a little longer than the first 30 minutes. The outcome was almost a forgone conclusion early on and just left you waiting to see the end. Much like director Alejandro Amenabar's other work, the focus was on style over substance.

All and all, The Others is a good film to sit back and enjoy with popcorn. Unlike many films in this genre, the body count is non-existent, there are few good shocks, and yet it still remains entertaining. However, don't expect to be challenged or surprised and you won't be sorry renting The Others.

The Others is available on VHS and DVD starting May 15th, 2002.

The DVD special features include:

• Two disc set
• Theatrical Trailer
• A look inside The Others documentary
• Visual Effects clips
• Xeroderma Pigmentosum documentary
• Still Gallery
• Spanish subtitles

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