Very good film - a ghost story not a 'horror' film

Rating: 9/10 (10 November 2001)

Fionnula Flanagan is equal to Dame Judith Anderson - as deadpan scary housekeepers come they don't come better than this. As second lead, could she be nominated as best supporting for the Oscars?
Nicole Kidman is superb (as I have come to expect).
Eric Sykes (British readers will know him as a farceur) plays straight, to good (and not distracting) effect.
Interestingly set in Jersey 1945, and written and directed by a Spaniard (can I presume he was brought up a Catholic) there is a full diet of subtexts played out here, but without going into spoilers it's difficult to discuss them.
I rated it a 9 rather than 10 because the younger child (son) grated once or twice.
Worth seeing, definitely, but don't expect a horror film - it's a ghost story in the tradition of MR James.