Summer Cinema: ‘The Others’
When I was a child, I used to have a recurring nightmare about being all alone in a vast, empty blackness. As I tried to leave or call for help, the blackness would squeeze in on me threatening to snuff out my very existence. The most frightening part of the dream was not the blackness or the squeezing, it was being alone.
Being alone, cut off from the world, is what makes “The Others” a truly enthralling and terrifying experience. The film centers on Grace (played to perfection by Nicole Kidman) a woman alone with her two children in a huge Victorian house on the island of Jersey. Her husband has left to fight in the war, and her children, Ann and Nicholas, are photosensitive – allergic to the light. Therefore she keeps all of the doors closed and locked and the curtains shut.
Grace advertises for new servants since the old ones have all left, and is rewarded by the appearance of three mysterious figures who used to work at the old house. What follows is a roller coaster ride of suspense and fright as Grace discovers the presence of other people in her house. Ann has seen the others many times and is often punished by her over-religious mother for telling lies about them.
This marks the first English film for director, writer and music composer (and yes he did all three for the film), Alejandro Amenábar. Amenábar proves his mastery of the craft in his blending of music to enhance the film’s action. The eerie lighting in the dark house and sinister camera angles build up a well spring of trapped emotions that erupt in the film’s climactic high points.
Alakina Mann and James Bently are amazing as Grace’s two children. Already, both stars posses a stage presence to be reckoned with. Look out Haley Joel.
In a summer packed with would be blockbusters and disappointing sequels, “The Others” is a gem not to be overlooked. The only downfall to the film is its seeming similarities to “The Sixth Sense.” However the scales definitely tip in the film’s favor making “The Others” a hauntingly good time for all.
Grade: A