Rating: Summary: Intelligent, eerie film that "Sixth Sense" tried to be... Review: "Sixth Sense": overrated, plot holes galore (especially the ending invalidating the entire movie). "The Others"? Eerie, unpredictable, creepy film that held my attention for the entire length. It is a smart horror film that boasts a strong cast, which is not something I can say for most horror films. Nicole Kidman does an amazing job portraying her well-meaning but cold and slightly mad mother living with her children way out in the countryside trying to figure out what is going on with her home. I can understand how people who post negative things about this movie say "it's boring". That's because the average person is an impatient "give me the damn twist now now now!" kind of viewer who needs instant gratification. If you think you would enjoy an intelligent, eerie, mature horror film, definitely check this film out.
Rating: Summary: It seems you either like this one or hate it Review: I loved it! I really didn't see any previews for this one and bought it pre-viewed from my video store. Perhaps the ending was slightly predictable, but I honestly didn't see it coming. I seriously enjoyed it and have recommended it to anyone that likes a good ghost story.
Rating: Summary: Haunted lives across the generations Review: This was a film I'd known nothing about when it appeared on cable. It was winter. I lying in bed with a bad cold, and figured--What the heck, it's a scary movie and Nicole Kidman is in it. Might be ok.By the time THE OTHERS was over, I was bolt upright in bed and feeling the chills, not from my cold but from a perfectly crafted ghost movie. I hadn't felt so absorbed and horrified (in a good sense) since I'd read Bronte's WUTHERING HEIGHTS or James' TURN OF THE SCREW. And I think it's for the same reason a previous reviewer had mentioned: this movie has the feel of a 19th century ghost story and not a 20th century horror story. Not a single drop of blood is spilled. No skeletal or decaying corpse-like spectre threatening violence prowling around here. These "others"--from the other side of life--are an unknowable entity. Nicole Kidman's character is terrified by what the others don't tell her about themselves (once she believes they exist). She doesn't know what they want, and the perceived consequences of that are what fuel the second half of the film. This, combined with the fact that her children have been in touch with the others, yet they can only tell her mother so much, keeps her frustration and vigilance at fever pitch. The gloomy setting, the inscrutible domestic staff, and the constant bickering of the children all add to the suspense. This is an example of quality horror film making. It's the situation, the acting, the lighting, and of course a story with substance that keep it going. This is a profoundly moving ghost story with great performances.
Rating: Summary: Creepy, yes. But can we have another ending? Review: Nicole Kidman is a very good actress. She does well in this film as an overprotective mother who is obsessed with teaching her children Bible lessons and ironically, also keeping them from the light. The light of the sun, that is, because oddly enough, these two children are allergic to sunlight and exposure is sure to have dire consequenses. The film moved pretty slowly, but got really creepy in some parts (photos) and looked like it may be a nice horror flick. Unofortnately, near the end, the director decides he needs to have a weird plot twist. I don't want to give anything away, but for me, it was a disappointment. In any case, the first half of the movie is quite good, and it is still worth a see.
Rating: Summary: Don't they have negative stars!!!!!!!!!! Review: This movie bored me to tears. I wasn't even scared or fascinated in the least which is so disappointing because I love Nicole Kidman. I hate to say it, but I saw that ending coming a mile away. I used to work in a video store, and I figured it out just from watching previews. So, I wasn't shocked for real. To keep it short, let me just say this was a horrible movie in my opinion.
Rating: Summary: BORING! Review: Well crafted direction with good performances by the children, this movie is not very scary, and is a trojan horse for themes that attack religion and pro-war politics. All fine and well, but the story cannot support such large themes since it is trite, manipulative, and is so concerned with setting us up with its trick ending. Children may be frightened at some of the faux horror, but if you let them watch it till the end, they'll fall asleep and wake up as liberals. You been warned! Want to save money and find out the ending? Here it is: everybody is dead, including the screenwriter!
Rating: Summary: A spine chiller Review: Probably one of Kidman's more memorable performances, she plays the mother of a small family trapped in an old English house. This is a ghost story told in the 19th century sense of the genre, chilling the spine rather than trying to churn your stomach. The script is tightly written and very compelling, as it slowly reveals the nature of this family and the demons that appear to haunt the house. The movie is not overly frightening but stays with you long after you've seen it, as it plays so evocatively on the mind.
Rating: Summary: Quality at it's lowest...! Review: The movie itself is my all-time favorite, a piece of cinematic perfection, but this 2 disk DVD set which has the print "Collector's Series" is hilarious, while the picture quality and printing on the disks are superb, the packaging is simply junk!! Low quality black plastic case that gives you the impression that it's going to tear along the folding line when you open or close it, the disks release bottons are badly designed and need real FORCE to press them down, the transparent plastic covering the outer poster is foggy, loose!! and full of imperfections and swelled areas (some of them are as big as a drop of dry glue). Not sure what kind of "collectors" this edition is targeting??
Rating: Summary: Television Movie Quality with Twilight Zone Themes Review: The Others is a good movie that unfortunately can not hold out its 104 minute running time because of the confines of the twist - that we have seen before. Comparisons will be made to certain other horror twist vehicles that did the circuit around the same time as this movie. The problem with these twist films is that the entire weight of the picture is balancing on that twist. This means that the film can not really extend past those boundaries of what that has to offer. In one scene Nichole Kidman leaves her home only to be enveloped in a fog and she must return back to where she came from. That pretty much sums up what is on display here. Nichole Kidman plays a somewhat wealthy land owner whose husband has not returned from the war, her kids can not go near sunlight, her servants have left her and she is trying to keep everything together. When most of the film has played itself out to establish everything in the first twenty minutes it does not really go anywhere else until the climax. The film mostly repeats itself - Kidman acts desperately to keep control, the new servants act strange, the house is haunted. The material is recycled over and over again but this is what we usually expect from films that hang onto that twist as the final affirmation that will effectively blow out our candle. Overall the twist does work but is nothing that you have not seen before if you have seen other types of these themes. The acting from Kidman is quite good but everyone else is a little under par including Christopher Eccleston's performance. It all looks very stage-like and has more television appeal than DVD or the cinema screen. In fact it works better as something you switch onto after seeing the news. This would be a more apt market niche for it than mainstream cinema and it plays better as a Television movie. It is more along that "quality" of film making than what the A-list leading lady suggests. This is a good horror yarn and a nice Ghost story, but not spectacular cinema, powerhouse performing or the brilliant film as some may tout. It is just good but nothing new or original. It does boost a few scares but these can be handled by most teenagers or anyone above the 12 age group category.... maybe even some people below that age. It really depends on your kids but I know plenty that watched it and enjoyed it and still went to sleep that night. There is no blood or violence in this horror movie which is good. Like I said it is more akin to an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Rating: Summary: Wow.! I wasn't ready for this..... Review: Despite their divorce Tom Cruise knew that his exwife was the only one that could save his money. Just the opening scene alone told me that i was not going to be disappointed. Although it has already been said, Kidman GAVE one of the most realistic performance I have ever seen before. The children were also not your typical child actors. The boy(nicholas) was very good in his part so also was his sister.The heartaches, headaches, fear , worries and tears were nailed to perfection by kidman. Julia Roberts watch out Kidman is trying to steal me away from you .... help... :).
|