August 17, 2001
By Veronica Mixon
THE OTHERS is an old-fashioned but classy
ghost story whose creepy moments make you lurch
out of your seat or even scream, as one woman
did, at the screening I attended. Nicole Kidman,
who is a first-rate actress, stars as a widow
living a lonely existence on the remote Channel
Island of Jersey during the waning days of WWII.
She's raising two children who suffer from a deadly
disease that makes them extremely sensitive to
sunlight. This family spends their days in bed
and their nights as days reading, eating and moving
about the house with candlelight and kerosene
lamps. When new servants around at the eternally
fog bound manor, Grace (Kidman) gives strict orders
to protect the children. But something is not
right. Someone is letting sunlight into the rooms
and the children have seen a cruel boy who claims
that he belongs in the house - not them!
The new nanny played skillfully by Fionnula Flanagan
tells Grace "sometimes the world of the dead and
the world of the living gets mixed up." All of
this spooks Grace who had hoped that her soldier
husband would return to his role as protector.
But she's now faced with the family responsibility
all on her own. As doors glide open or close and
footsteps race across heavy wooden floors, the
tension builds in Grace's soul and she must uncover
the source of the mystery that has captured her
home.
This is a superb vehicle for Nicole Kidman who
first attracted Hollywood with her skillful performance
in DEAD CALM. Kidman, who seemed so uninhibited
in MOULIN ROUGE, is pale skinned (other
reviewers love to call her icy) and tightly wound
emotionally. Her physical presence is extraordinary.
Yet, her natural beauty is illuminated by the
candlelight even when her eyes are bulging with
fear. As an actor, Kidman is fearless in a way
that few of her sex are in this industry. She's
appeared cruelly devious (MALICE, TO
DIE FOR), sauntered naked in front of danger
(BILLY BATHGATE) or delight (EYES WIDE
SHUT) and still retained an air of graciousness
(PORTRAIT OF A LADY). Can you imagined
acting frighten during this entire shoot. Her
face is so perfectly chiseled with terror that
you instantly buy into the hokey premise (remember
this is not a vampire movie) of "her children
being in danger from sunlight."
THE OTHERS is wonderful and the conclusion
is both startling and very satisfying. Spanish
director, Alejandro Amenabar (OPEN YOUR EYES)
has done an admirable job with this genre.
