Rish Outfield's reviews
I had been unable to see this film in its first run, but was lucky enough to catch a double bill of it and Session 9 at the local arthouse tonight. Before I say anything about this film, let me say something I've said many many times before: I love Horror. I wish I knew what to say the next time I hear someone lambast my favourite genre, but it's not something you can say in one sentence, summing up how magical Horror is when done right, and how fun it can be even if it isn't. I think that a lot of the people who would expend the effort to read these words know what I mean. Thanks for reading.
Horror is a genre with limitless . . . count ‘em, limitless . . . possibilities. It's saying something that The Others could be so successful (financially and artistically) with one of the most used Horror subgenres: the haunted house story. And it is; I'd say this is the best horror film I've seen this year.
I noticed at least one similar plot twist between Session 9 and this film, as well as the problem of reviewing it and giving it Skulls without revealing its secrets. When tyranist and I saw The Sixth Sense, we decided NOT to review it, for that very reason. I don't have that liberty here, but will attempt to be as discreet as possible.
Briefly, Nicole Kidman stars as a harried mother of two children who are photosensitive to daylight, and as her husband is lost at war, she struggles to take care of them in their enormous estate home. Because of the children's condition (and a single line about electricity problems), the house exists in a state of permanent night. And also due to the children's condition, Kidman's character is a veritable prisoner in her own home. When three new employees come to work at the home, we find there's even more strangeness going on there. Something otherworldly that Kidman finds more and more difficult to dismiss or explain away.
Spanish made, this film reminded me of Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw,"and The Innocents, which was made from it. In fact, the first trailer I saw of it made me think that's what it was. There was a sense of old-time storytelling/moviemaking throughout, which was surely intentional, and was greatly enhanced by the story's pace. Not a tremendous lot happens in the film, yet it manages to maintain its tension and power over the audience nevertheless. I'd have to credit Director Alejandro Amenabar and Kidman's own multi-layered, classy performance for that. Usually a horror movie relieves pressure and lets the audience breathe a little by small startles, or jokes, or fake scares, but this picture demonstrated what it's like not to have those breaks throughout. It created a thick, palpable tension that wasn't entirely comfortable to sit through. That's another similarity I found between this film and Session 9, though I enjoyed this one more.
The ending of the film is not a downer, and is in fact, somewhat uplifting, in spite of how morbid it is. I felt blessed (yes, I think that's the word I'm looking for) to have been able to see it on the big screen, and with an audience (as small as the group was).
Best Scare: There are some really chilling moments throughout, the tension level real high. But toward the end, there was one genuine make-Rish-Outfield-shriek-like-a-girl moment. Those are always good.
I'd Recommend It To: Haunted house fans, scary movie fans, etc. See it. A pity it will be on video, though, for there was something awesome about tonight's screening. A torrential rainpour was going on outside, and the theater wasn't soundproofed enough to keep the sound at bay. It felt more claustrophobic, more atmospheric, more real. Ah well.

The tyranist's thoughts
I missed this one in the theatres due to a combination of abstract busy-ness and a vague dislike for Nicole Kidman. How, you ask, could anyone dislike Nicole Kidman? It's pretty easy folks. Still, I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to see this one completely, could I?
More than anything else I was reminded of by this film, I kept thinking about Haunted. Thematically, there are a lot of similar elements and even the countryside and manor setting match up well. I wouldn't go so far as to claim that this was a remake or rip-off of Haunted, but it is certainly a story in the same vein. In fact, since Haunted is one of my all time favourite horror movies and definitely my favourite ghost story, I found myself disposed to enjoying this more than I thought I would.
The film feels very Victorian even though it is set well after that period and I like that. I also really liked the actors as well. It took me a bit to warm up to Ms. Kidman, but I found myself sympathizing with her. The story is good and there is some nice tension, but I have to wonder if it just didn't translate to the small screen the way it could have. I've heard a number of things about the movie and I found that my experience did not really match. For instance, there is much made of the "twist" ending. I like a well-done plot turn as much as the next man, but what was waiting at the end of this felt less shocking and revelatory and more in the normal course of things. I really can't say that it was something I was expecting, but it didn't make me re-think the movie to see what clues I had missed either. It just was.
If you really like ghost stories, this is a nice one. Even if you dislike Nicole Kidman.