Middling but with no middle

Rating: Null/10 (31 October 2001)

'The Others' is a strange sort of film. It's neither good nor bad, and, oddly, I can't say 'it could have been much better' (as with many other movies) as I doubt if it could, given the subject matter and the enclosed arena, in which all of the film is set. I know nothing about the story's background, but it is very theatrical, so maybe it started life as a play(?) It's one of those films whereby you can't say too much about it, for fear of spoiling it for the others, but suffice to say it is a ghost story, and, although it contains no sex, violence or expletives, definitely merits the '12' certificate. With the ghostly ingredients of a spooky house, two frightened children and a quirky performance from Nicole Kidman, I expected to enjoy this so much more than I did. I think the main problem is that the story has no real 'middle'. It starts and finishes adequately but drags in the middle, and, as I said, I doubt if, with the subject matter, this could have been improved upon. Overall, middling entertainment.