Introduction
The Others is a very good movie that you need to be patient with. The movie is entertaining but it was not what I expected. I will not reveal the plot and please don’t spoil it for others that haven’t seen The Others. ;o)
My thoughts about The Others
The Others is my favorite kind of thriller. It doesn’t rely on the latest digital effects or explosions to give you a jolt. The effects and sound are well done and do not detract from the movie. The pace of the movie is steady and building, in other words, slow.
Seriously, you are not going to be bored, you will feel like every bit of footage that was shot for the movie has been incorporated into the finished product. The pacing of the movie feels like an opera; it takes two hours to say what could have been said in five minutes. There are some interesting twists that keep your attention, but until the last twenty minutes, you may feel like you have made a commitment to completing the film rather than wanting to know how it ends.
Speaking of the ending, this movie rallies. For a slow movie, it does a very good job of building the suspense without degenerating into some campy blood fest. I enjoy a good slasher as the next person, but this movie uses a more sophisticated kind of horror to makes its impact.
There are plenty of subtleties that the normal moviegoer will see. To the filmmaker’s credit, some of these subtleties are red herrings to keep you from guessing the ending. It would be difficult to say that you won’t have your suspicions, but the saucy twist makes you feel like you got your money’s worth. Up until this point, you will feel like you have invested more than you will get from the movie.
The overall feel of the movie is in relation to the house. The house, its grounds, and the countryside surrounding providing a wonderful claustrophobic feeling that really helps maintain and increase the tension and suspense. Weather such as sunlight and fog are used effectively in an archetypical and real sense to move and develop the story. The dress of the characters also helps promote the feelings of the characters and the emotions that they are experiencing. The style of dress of each character allows for subtle progressions throughout the film.
With respect to the acting, I will be the first to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I feel that each actor did his or her part to move the story. Horror movies are prone to overacting and I did not leave the theater with this feeling. The talent of the children in the movie really helped provide credibility and suspend disbelief in the characters. There’s something really creepy about kids with English accents…. :o)
Conclusion
As a final thought, I would like to watch it again on DVD. The only catch is that I hope that the DVD has a special version that moves a little quicker. Blame it on TV or instant gratification, but the plot feels labored. Overall, this should not stop you from going to see it in the theaters. As far as thriller/horror movies go, it didn’t rely upon fake blood to give me a jump or two.
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