Nicole Kidman in The Others (1997)

It's a good movie. It scores well at IMDb (tied for the 5th best of 2001 so far), and got 76% good reviews, but plenty of good films with good reviews die instantly at the box office, especially when they are arty and slow.

The Others has surprised a lot of people with its solid mass-market appeal. It is a ghost story, but it is not sensational, has no gore, has almost no special effects, is basically a gothic psychological horror story in 1940's period costumes, is imbued with religious symbolism, and is paced oh-so-slowly.

The second half of the movie has plenty of creepy ghost-story atmosphere and a good payoff, but enjoying those pleasures will require you to stay awake through the first half, and that ain't going to be easy.

The set-up phase includes some creepy details. Nicole Kidman and two little kids live in an old manor house (gothic architecture, no less!), and Kidman certainly has some unusual rules for the servants. Apparently, the children can be poisoned by the sun, so all the drapes must be closed at all times.

Furthermore, there is a mysterious rule that no door may be opened unless the previous one is closed. Frankly, nobody can quite figure out that one. Even Kidman has a hard time explaining the logic behind it. Then there are the three mysterious servants who appeared out of nowhere, as if summoned.

Of course, the central mystery is why they keep having some kind of contact with some special people who seem to share the house with them. A blind woman, a boy, some others. Kidman and the kids see them for a minute here, a minute there, and eventually suspect they are ghosts. That's the mystery.

The first half has all too many scenes with Kidman instructing the children on their catechism, discussions of hell and purgatory and limbo, and preparation for first communion. Kidman is devoutly religious, and the presence of the mysterious spirits challenges some of her theology.

Do you have a friend who can never get to the point of a story - goes off on dozens of tangents about things you aren't interested it? Imagine that friend telling a campfire story, and you get the drift of how the first half plays out. Finally, one of your type-A friends says "get to the point", and it picks up.

It is a good ghost story, stylish and creepy, and I was satisfied that I watched it, but it's not easy to make it through those first 45 minutes.

Nudity Report: None. Kidman is very sexy at times, but nothing like Eyes Wide Shut.

IMDb Summary: 8.1 out of 10!

Critic's Vote: Ebert 2.5/4, Berardinelli 2.5/4

Box Office: It has been a surprising hit for a film with such a slow pace. It has grossed $46 million as I write this. Budget $17 million.

DVD Info: Still in theatres

Written by Scoopy ...courtesy of scoopy.net