absolutely exquisite

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2001)

Rarely have I been so impressed with a movie's wry, knowing, and uncanny ability to produce a story of such wry, intellectual, spiritual, and haunting power. There is much and many things going on in this flick- and it will surely tapped for a few Oscars, especially Cinematography, Set Design (check out those props and chairs and house lights- they're the real 40s stuff!), and even perhaps Best Original Screenplay. On an even more impressive note is the emotional scope and raw energy with which Nicole imbues her portayal of Grace, as well as the uncannily adult and responsive acting ability shown by the supporting characters. (Check out those child actors! what are they, adults in kid suits? I've never seen anything like it! Haley Joel doesn't hold a candle to these kids' ability)
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
Let me first start off by addressing some of this film's many themes. The whole idea of Nicole having to "lock" each individual room's door when entering and exiting creates the whole idea of barrier and isolation, as well as emotional barrenness.
The whole idea of "lighting" takes on a surreal effect in this film, not only in its importance to Nicole's children and the exquisite, special cinematography to be found here, but also in the creation myth that begins the film and the idea of "light" and "darkness", of "other" and "us".
Exquisite is a hard word not to use when writing about this one. It's the real thing- "The Others" is a movie at once brilliant without drifting into the land of the quasi-pretentious, as Memento has a tendency to do, (being so "smart" that it's oftentimes impossible to follow and understand). "The Others" is at last an emotional look of the bonds of a three-membered family, of human interaction, of spiritual explanation of death and the paranormal, and a wry inquest into what "ghosts" in of themselves have to say about us the living, us the dead, or, as this film may have us believe, the very thin lines that separates the two.
All in all, will definitely garner some Oscar recognition, as I stated before, and even (who knows?) get Nicole that Best Actress nod she's deserved for some time now.