Good Looking Spook Fest

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2005)

I spent the first half of "The Others" ticking off how it was similar to Hitchcock's "Rebecca" -- yeah, another isolated foggy Gothic mansion with secrets, another spooky, possibly crazy housekeeper, another high-strung lady of the house, and that this movie could also have been made in the late '40's.
I got intrigued that first Nicole Kidman's character is sympathetic, then she's annoying, then a martinet, then sympathetic again (and looking great in close-fitting 1940's styles such that we should all have personal tailors like that, whew), in a fine performance as she carries the whole beautiful-looking movie.
Then I tried to figure out what was really going on, started to pick up hints, got annoyed that some characters weren't giving us enough tips, tried to guess, got fooled by some things and appreciated what my friend spotted, and then just let myself go to the love-to-get-scared in all of us.
The ending completely won me over. Much post-viewing discussion with my friend on the clues, if and how they added up, and what was significant.
Like with "The Sixth Sense," don't read any spoilers!
(originally written 8/19/2001)