The Others

Rating:
Summary: Kidman is fantastic is excellent in well done ghost story
Review: "The Others" is a superb ghost story with the best twist ending since "The Sixth Sense". It has no dazzling special effects. Instead, it relies on atmosphere [darkness and shadows, fog, sounds, a malevolent old house], a literate script and great acting. Because it is somewhat old-fashioned and because its pace isn't lightening fast, it's at least as appealing to adults as it is to teens.

Grace Stewart lives in a vast, isolated mansion on an island off the coast of England with her two young children, Anne and Nicholas. Her husband has yet to come home from the recently ended W.W.II. The children have a disease that makes them allergic to bright light. All the curtains must be drawn in any room they are in. Doors must be kept closed. The servants have recently vanished in the night, leaving the high-strung, fanatically religious Grace alone to care for the kids. It is a lonely and claustrophobic existence. Help arrives in the form of three servants who once worked in the house years before the Stewarts moved in. Before long, Anne claims that she's seeing strange people in the house. Grace refuses to believe her until even odder events occur. And the three servants, who at first seemed so kind and caring, become somehow threatening. What on earth is going on? Or is it of this earth?

Nicole Kidman is mesmerizing as Grace Stewart. She is in nearly every scene. Her character is a difficult one that vacillates between loving mother and screaming banshee. At the hands of a less accomplished actress, the role might have produced some unintentional laughter, but Ms. Kidman makes us feel empathy and compassion for sad, unhappy Grace. Also of note are Alakina Mann as Anne and Fionula Flanigan as Bertha Mills, one of the mysterious servants. Like Bette Davis and Meryl Streep, Kidman is an extremely versatile and powerful actress, but Mann and Flanigan manage to hold their own with her admirably.

"The Others" was written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar, a young Spaniard whose 1997 film, "Abre les ojos" was recently remade by Cameron Crowe as "Vanilla Sky". He also wrote the music. His accomplished, sophisticated score adds a great deal to the film. He's a remarkable talent.

Rating:
Summary: ...and things that go bump in the night....
Review: Nicole Kidman is perfectly cast as a woman with two children living in a huge mansion on the Channel Islands where things just don't seem "right". The children have an allergy to light, thus the house is kept dimly lighted (by kerosene, as the house has no electricity) and each door must be closed and locked when entering or leaving a room. The house is always shrouded in fog, creating a creepy atmosphere, and when the three new servants come to call, everything gets that much creepier. Voices are heard, pianos play on their own and stange sounds lead the family to believe they may not be "alone". I hesitate to say much more as I wouldn't want to spoil any of the exciting little plot twists but this is a wonderful, old-fashioned ghost story that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. (Perfect movie for a rainy night)

Rating:
Summary: Not the most original premise, but still VERY entertaining.
Review: This is a good old fashion psychological thriller film without having to resort to cheap blood and gore effects. Not exactly the most sophisticated story line -- but a good old hallowe'en night ghost story.

It will be inevitable that this film will be compared to the Sixth Sense released less than two years earlier...because of obvious similarities as well as the proximity of their release dates.

Nonetheless, the film is beautifully shot, atmospheric in it's suitability to the story line. The music and camera movements also lends well in reinforcing the mystery of the plot.

5 stars with 1 star deduction for lack of originality = 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Made me jump more than once
Review: The Others won't blow you away with special effects, but it will make you jump.

Set in a dark, gloomy English estate in the year 1945, The Other is a story about a woman named Grace Stewart (Kidman) who still waits for her husband to return from the war against Germany. She guardedly protects her two children, Ann and Nicholas, who are "photosensitive." One day, three strangers show up in answer to an ad for servants. After the strangers arrive, odd things start happening, from voices being heard everywhere, to strange noises.

All along, Grace appears to become more and more paranoid, and the three strangers become more and more enigmatic and sinister (although they don't appear to do anything wrong). The suspense continues to build, until the surprise ending. I can't say anymore without blowing it for people who haven't seen this movie.

Nicole Kidman turns in teriffic performance as Grace, the over-protective, paranoid, and borderline crazy mother. The rest of the cast play their parts well, though I was hoping to see more of Chistopher Eccleston (Gone in 60 Seconds). Great camera work, and a gloomy set combine to create a creepy and frantic atmosphere.

Don't rent this if you are looking for a Halloween, Nightmare on Elm St. type of movie. However, if you like gothic-like suspense, and trying to stay a step ahead of the movie by predicting the outcome, you'll love this show. The most recent movie that The Others resembles is The Sixth Sense.

By the way, those that say they didn't like the ending are probably bitter because they didn't figure it out before it was revealed to them!

Rating:
Summary: I needed to pee-pee often
Review: ...This is one of those thriller/horror movies that loves to play with the audiences' minds. And I loved how it twisted mine around and threw it back in my face.

The story revolves around a young lady (Nicole Kidman) and her two children who live in a home off the England coast. Her husband is away fighting in WWII, leaving Nicole and her kids alone in a Gothic home with the ambience of Dracula's summer home. Add to this the medical condition of Xeroderma Pigmentosum (allergy to light) that the children have, and it makes for some dark scenes that keep you gripping your seat or loved one's hand with excessive force.

Enter Fionnula Flanagan (a house maid/nanny)--- who brings along two other caretakers. She has a dusky presence that sits uneasily with you the moment she's seen on screen. As are her two 'assistants' (one of whom is a mute for unknown reasons... in the beginning).

The house begins to take on a personality of its own soon after the arrival of these new servants. The children begin seeing strange people, whom Nicole can't visualize for some reason. Bumps, creaks, mysterious piano concertos, slamming doors and a curious constant fog all add to an eerie sense that all is rotten in Denmark (or Jersey?).

The last fifteen minutes of the film will make you breath a sigh of...what? Relief? Emotional exhaustion? A gasping understanding? Thankful that you can finally pee normally again? Definitely all of the afore mentioned.

A+ performances from Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, and the two children in this incredible feature film. One that I'm proud to say I now own...on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: You think you know, but you have no idea
Review: I wasn't a big fan of Nicole Kidman, but then I saw Moulin Rouge and thought I saw some talent there. As a result I bought this film sight unseen due to Ms. Kidman's talent, and because of the hype. I was also aware that there was a shocking ending and I really didn't want that to be ruined for me as other films have been. The film is set in the 1940's and I'll admit that when it started I felt the urge to snooze. That urge quickly ended and I was knee deep in suspense. Ms. Kidman plays Grace, a mother of two who appears to be very controlling and at the same time very vulnerable. Grace is staying in a mansion waiting for her husband to return from war. No big surprise here, the house is haunted. Once the story begins to unravel, the viewer is desperately trying to figure out what is going on and what is real and what is not. The film is superbly acted and directed. Nicole Kidman is obviously an actress who takes risks and the viewer is definitely rewarded with those risks. I highly recommend this film if you like psychological thrillers with somewhat realistic endings. Don't blink because you'll miss The Others.

Rating:
Summary: Chilling, Spine Tingling Thriller
Review: First off, I'm gonna just go right ahead and tell you that this movie was the best thriller I have seen in a very long, long, long time. They don't make them like this anymore. What a shame. We need more scary thrillers like this. Writer/director Alejandro
Amenabar really delivers the goods. The fantastic Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a rather cold, icey mother of two who lives in a large and spooky mansion circa 1945. She has hired three new servants to help in her home after her previous employees just vanished. Just left. Her children, Anne and Nicholas, suffer from a rare disease that makes them break out in blisters and suffocate if they come in contact with light. Because of this, the house curtains are pulled and the place is usually in the dark. Spooky. The little girl believes the place is haunted when she keeps seeing people. Her mother and brother refuse to hear it. Strange things begin to happen and they only get more and more odd until Grace is forced to believe her daughter. The movie is great. Nicole Kidman gives the best performance of her career. She is no longer "Mrs. Tom Cruise" and this movie proves it. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is clearly wrong. She was nominated for an Oscar for "Moulin Rouge", but she deserved it more for this performance. The acting and accent are dead on perfect. The kids are great. We don't see such great kid actors too often, but these two were very good. I could listen to their accents all day. The movie looks really good and is shot magnificently. A gorgeous looking movie. It's full of interesting plot turns that ends in a surprise climax that beats the hell out of the ending of "The Sixth Sense". The one star review below is ridiculous beyond belief. The house and fog are shot incredibly. The atmosphere of this film is just as important and thrilling as the actors and the action. The music is superb as well. This movie, along with Alejandro's superb direction and storytelling, tells you that you can have a truly epic, scary, mysterious, and overall satisfying movie experience with the things that you don't see, as much as the other movies filled with make-up, special effects, and CGI computer generated effects. The best kind of thriller are the ones about true fear that make you create it in your own mind. Not spoon fed to you by eye popping Hollywood tricks and camera trickery. All you need is a solid story and good actors. This movie has those things and then some. Superbly done folks. If you like a good haunted house movie, this one is the best in eons. As I've already said before, this is the best thriller I've seen in many a moon. The people who didn't get it are laughable. This movie is wasted on them. I suggest they go back to watching "Temptation Island". Make yourself a bowl of popcorn, get comfy on the couch, turn off the lights, and get ready for an immensley enjoyable thriller. This is a good movie.

Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest Horror movies of all time, but not DVDs.
Review:

From all the reviews I read before seeing this movie, I was ready for a suspenseful, psychological thriller. What I got was a first rate ghost story that scared the bejeezus out of me the whole way through. One of the most memorable moments is the new take on the "creepy attic scene." This one is just as scary, but in FULL daylight!

This movie keeps you guessing, and the surprise ending makes this one of the best I've seen. Nicole Kidman is amazing in this, adding sympathy to a character who could be turned into a "Mommy Dearest" or cardboard cut-out in the wrong hands.

Unfortunately, the DVD is a bit of a waste of space. The special features could easily be placed on one disc alongside the movie. While the documentary on XP (not the OS) is good, there are surprisingly few features for an entire second disc.

Overall, I'd recommend renting this one to see if it truly belongs in your collection. And watch the movie a second time. The second time, the movie isn't very scary, and so you can pay more attention to the storyline and characters.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This movie was great. At the beginning I wasn't sure if I was really going to like it but I did. At the end I was genuinely shocked. I didn't see that ending coming. It was just great. Very creepy and suspensful.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a ghost story with true creepiness and thrills
Review: I've become so sick of all those horror movies that try to scare viewers with cheap tricks, gore, non-stop action and violence. So it was a particular joy to discover The Others, a ghost story that gives the viewer a chance to FEEL the creepy atmosphere, the suspense and the heightened tension...and believe me, this one is genuinely spooky! I wasn't prepared for the ending, so that was a surprise as well.
The basic premise of the movie? Grace (played by Nicole Kidman) is living in a house with her 2 children, awaiting the return of her husband who is lost at war. Her children can't be exposed to light and so the curtains must be kept closed - which only adds to the dark and foreboding atmosphere. The children are hypersensitive to light and have lived in a musty manor with curtains and shutters perpetually drawn.
Grace's daughter keeps speaking of a child she sees and of other ghosts as well, bringing about her mother's wrath - until slowly, slowly, it becomes clear that something strange is going on in the house. But what? I won't give away any of the important details but I WILL say that this one may not go in a totally expected direction so don't assume you know the ending until the last few minutes. Totally satisfying for fans of the eerie and macabre.