The Others (2001)

Cruise-Wagner/Sogecine/Escorpion, 2001. Directed by Alejandro Amenabar. Starring Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Eric Sykes, Alakina Mann, and James Bentley.

By the time he made The Others, Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar had already proven his abilities behind the camera with two outstanding thrillers, Thesis (Tesis, 1996) and Open Your Eyes (Abre los ojos, 1997). The latter even spawned a far inferior Hollywood remake entitled Vanilla Sky (2001), starring Tom Cruise. But with the highly acclaimed The Others, the wunderkind of Spanish cinema really became an established director, gaining international recognition.

Filmed in its entirety on location in Spain, although set in the English Channel Islands, The Others is a Gothic horror tale told with imagination and gusto, a loose reworking of Henry James's classic novel The Turn of the Screw. One of the reasons why the movie is so effective lies in its plot, very cleverly constructed and developed at just the right pace. Amenabar excels at creating a ghostly atmosphere, building the tension gradually by means of noises, whispers, an elaborate use of light and shadows, and a magnificent soundtrack that perfectly punctuates the most dramatic moments.

The narrative, basically confined to the dimly lit space of an ancient mansion, attempts to blur the limits between time and space, between the world of the living and the world of the dead. The characters' existence is dominated by doubt, fear, longing, and bouts of madness, as Amenabar strives to make sure that the viewer can't clearly distinguish between what is real and what isn't. In such a context, the atmosphere outside the stately walls of the mansion becomes a leitmotif throughout the film. The grim tones of a gray-colored sky, together with the thickness of the ever-present fog, underscore the fact that the characters are in the dark about their past and their present, about their own existence.

The Others turns out to be the perfect vehicle for Nicole Kidman to show once more that she's an excellent actress. Her character, tormented by a past that she's somehow forgotten and by a present of loneliness and grief that she strongly dislikes, isn't an easy role to play, yet she handles it with great elegance and taste. The rest of the cast, laden with fine British actors such as Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, and Eric Sykes, matches Kidman's great performance. Don't expect The Others to be just another bone-chiller populated by ghostly figures and full of special effects. It's actually a delightful, well-constructed little Gothic story whose unexpected twists and turns will keep you at the edge of your seat.

Anton&Erin.