Over Hyped but interesting - the "Fifth Sense and a half"

Rating: Null/10 (23 November 2002)

I was very much looking forward to viewing this film, but whereas, I was completely duped by the "Sixth Sense", I could more or less guess the ending of this one ........ once you've got used to this sort of thing. The "Sixth Sense", on a second viewing turns out to be absolutely flawless from beginning to end, in "The Others", there are several illogicalities. I am not comparing the two films because their stories are the same, but the have one important common point, and that is quite simply, the plots in both case are seen from the point of view, if you like of departed souls ( Willis and Kidman ). If you've seen the Sixth Sense and been taken in by it, you can, if you have a minimum of intelligence, guess that the "prémice de départ" so to speak is that of someone who has passed on and so won't be taken in by this one. If you have not seen " Sixth Sense, then the world's your oyster. Cinematographically beautiful, and Kidman delivers a magnificent performance, but all that continuous fog and gloom does get on your nerves after a while - and the costumes and accents of the three servants more or less give the game away that they are from another time. Now why does the husband suddenly turn up and then depart again the next day - there's a good question for you !! The so called surprise ending is perhaps a little sudden and late in the film to have a maximum effect one feels almost "this has got to come to an end so let's get on with it and finish the thing off" so to speak. In the Sixth Sense, I was totally taken aback when cat was let out of bag. If I'd been a mouse watching the film, I'd have been eaten up quicker than a lump of cheese ! As far as the DVD goes, what a shame the packing we have, on the version we have in France at least is so pathetic, when you take off the plastic wrapping, the whole thing falls apart in your hands and the discs fly everywhere !! Hopefully it's better in other countries ! Anyway I'll view the film in a couple of months again and maybe revise my opinion !