Rating: Summary: Hey! A Good Ghost Story! Review: Nicole Kidman is astonishing in this film. Honestly, I never thought of her as more than a pretty face, but this film demonstrates her talent. She plays a mother trying to shelter her children from light, because they have a rare condition that makes ordinary sunlight blistering. (There really is a condition like this, by the way.) Her husband is missing in action in WWII, so for help with the children, and her large house, she hires three servants who oddly dress as though they just stepped out of the turn of the last century. Light functions almost as a character in this film. Light hurts the children, light fails to reveal the strangers who may or may not be hiding in the shadows. Light lurks outside each door, waiting for a chance to catch someone unaware, and pounce. The cinematography is excellent, following the mother from room to room, brilliantly capturing her frantic near-panic. The child actors here are unprodigious and ingenuous. They hardly seem to be acting. It's a great relief from the latest vehicle for whatever child actor Hollywood is trying to impose on the viewing public. At its heart, this is a ghost story. I initially feared the film might harbor didacticism, but it does not. It's here to entertain, and that is all. Jut don't try to second guess it, or you will cheat yourself out of some of the fun. There are a few jolts that you don't want to see coming. Let uncertainty keep you on the edge of your seat.
Rating: Summary: Subtlety is the key... Review: This film has all the essential qualities of a classic ghost story. It really comes down to the fact that if a ghost story is told well, it will scare you. ~The Others~ is extremely well made, each scene is crafted to ensure it evokes a particular mood or feeling in the most subtle ways. Director Alejandro Amenaber, (Open your Eyes) is a Spanish craftsman who has a gift for telling a story with subtlety, nothing is ever apparent, but is hinted at through the visuals and clues in the dialogue. Personally, the in-your-face horror stories do nothing for me. I find Eddie Krugger, for example, hilarious. What is horrifying, for me, is subtle irrational behaviour. Grace (Nicole Kidman) at the opening of the film instructs the servants to ensure they close and lock every door in the house as they move through them. As she believes the sunlight is dangerous to her two children, she is absolutely adamant that the light must be contained. Suddenly our normal sensibilities are reversed, the light is the enemy and the darkness must be secured at any cost. I find this sort of thing more disturbing than 'Jason' rising from the depths and decapitating a few unlucky teenagers. Subtlety is the key for a good ghost story. Nicole Kidman is a versatile actor who possesses a huge range. She has shown that she can play just about any character and play it with believability. In this film her neurotic behaviour is honest to the point of irritability. She is also an attractive and elegant woman and a pleasure to view on the big screen. Her performance in this film is quite good, but Fionnula Flanagan as the head housekeeper stole the show. Her expressions throughout the film would constantly put me off balance - the characters intentions are never clear until the end. She plays a veneer of kindness with a hint of evil bubbling just under the surface. Again, this was a subtle performance which created a huge impact. In fact, all the performances from the cast, particularly the children, were first rate. This is a good film to have in your collection because it can be seen more than once, as there are subtle aspects in the story that will be missed on a single viewing. The mark of a good ghost story or any tale is its light touch and unexpected twist. This film has both.
Rating: Summary: Spooky excellence! Review: I loved this movie. Instead of the blood and gore of most modern "scary" movies, it has the psychological brilliance of an old Hitchcock film. It's reminiscent of classic scary movies like, 'The Haunting' or 'The Innocents.' The psychological buildup is perfect for a spooky flick like this, and the atmosphere, and great plot make for a far scarier movie than obvious plots of violence and special effects. The atmosphere is just great. It has the feel that a haunted house should have - the kind of Haunted House you would imagine while reading a spooky book on a rainy day. It's just perfect, with the fog and the old English mansion. And of course, children with and English accent somehow make the feel of it all even better - in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes, or Jane Eyre. Nicole Kidman is perfect here, and does a wonderful job as the intense mother of the two children. You can't help enjoying everything about this film, from the costumes, to the acting, to the setting... and of course the plot. I would've never guessed what happens at the end and I'm betting you won't either! A perfect movie for Halloween and for anytime you want a good spooky story.
Rating: Summary: Do you believe in GHOSTS! Review: This is a very suspenseful movie!!! Don't watch it in the dark!!! Story: A women and her 2 children start to witness supernatural events! I won't say much more, but it has a suprise ending that will shock you!!! Good Acting!!!
Rating: Summary: wuuuuuuu wuuuuuuu! are you aware of the others? Review: The greatest thriller of all time!, what a ending!!!!, turns all your expectetions around!, great script, acting, filming, wow! do I need to say more, worth buying it.
Rating: Summary: Good new ghost movie Review: The Others stars an Australian, one of my faves to be true, NIcole Kidman, Academy Award Winner Nicole Kidman. It's about a woman who has two children, who are both super-sensitive to the sun and bright lights. The servants have all vanished, and three new ones appear on the door-step, but Kidman hadn't posted the add yet. She hires them, but soon, locked doors open, and invisible people can be heard walking and laughing through the house. Kidman becomes scared, as drawn curtains open and endangers her children. BUt the children make a horrific discovery, and a terrifying secret is revealed. Good, but Kidman says she hated herself in it.
Rating: Summary: Spooky classic Review: This type of ghost story follows the spooky classics made in the 1950's and stands as an excellent ghost story. Constantly increasing tension and verbal clues lead the viewer down many paths with a lovely surprise ending. Volume level is variable, so much so that the movie really needs constant adjustment, so keep the remote handy.
Rating: Summary: Significant Sound Problems Review: This is a very well written movie, beautifully performed and brilliantly filmed. So why only two stars? My experience with the DVD is that it has significant sound problems. I have an excellent home entertainment system capable of managing a wide dynamic range. Nonetheless, I found that I couldn't hear much of this film. Nicole Kidman whispers through the whole thing, which would not be a problem if the levels had been set properly. Perhaps for the theater they were. But on the DVD transfer it is extremely difficult to hear her. This will be especially true if you are in an apartment with a neighbor who would rather not hear the whole film through the walls, or if you wish to watch the film after the kids go to bed. This is a wonderful film, but watch it at a time when you can comfortably pump up the volume. Otherwise, you'll just end up annoyed that you can't hear a word Kidman says.
Rating: Summary: A Film that's made to be a Classic.. Review: Among all the scary movies been there lately...this movie is the best....not because it SCARES more...but The Others is the only movie that wasn't made to be the typical commercial movie that's made to collect dollars....it' a very artistic movie that's made to live for long as one of the classics....you won't find silly visual effects for ghosts made by computer graphics...you'd enjoy every scene within this movie.. the performance of nicole kidman is amazing...she proves with in every role she play how skilled and talented she is....and all the casting is as great.. the legendary Alejandro AmenĂ¡bar as a script writer , director and music composer...althought he was barely 29 on making this movie ( WOOOOOOOOOOOOOW ) is certainly the superman of the cinematic field....REALLY THIS MOVIE I A MUST TO HAVE FOR ALL MOVIE LOVERS .
Rating: Summary: Very good movie, but not "mainstream" enough for some people Review: I think most of people who had problems with this movie, or thought it was boring, are the people who find movies like "Scream", "Friday the 13th"..'scary'. People have become far too desensitized these days and can only be "scared" by loud over the top movies. If there isn't blood and guts and LOUD "scare chords", then it isn't "scary". Sorry, but I hate those movies. Anyone will jump at a loud noise...it isn't scary it the least though. But most directors rely on this more and more. Silence, silence, cue LOUD MUSIC "SCARE CHORD"! That's not scary to me and 99.9% of the time it's incredibly predictable. Also, seeing some guys head be cut off for the 900th time just doesn't work anymore. True scares should not HAVE to rely on these tactics. "The Others" works a great deal on this level. They don't batter you with loud noises unless it truly fits the scene (like the piano room scene, or the loud noises across the ceiling)! And there aren't any of those darn "Scare Chords" which make you jump. I truly wish more people would make these kinds of movies.
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