A triumphant American debut for Alejandro Amenabar

Rating: 9/10 (25 July 2002)

Writer/director Alejandro Amenabar has burst onto the motion picture scene in a major way with this, his first American film. The Spanish auteur had already made a mark in Spain with `Abre Los Ojos', a film he wrote, directed and scored, which was remade four years later by Cameron Crowe as `Vanilla Sky', starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman's ex-husband who co-produced both films.
This film is outstanding in almost every respect. With a microscopic budget of $17 million and one bankable star, Amenabar turned a great idea into a brilliant film. As he has in past films, he also composed the music, which is exceptionally powerful and a perfect fit for the story. There are few directors with the talent to write, direct and compose this effectively. It is even more impressive when you consider that he is barely 30 years old.
Amenabar's use of shadow and light is phenomenal and he is extremely adroit at utilizing the camera to maximize the suspense. He is also very insightful in his direction of the actors. While Nicole Kidman is a veteran, the children are both in their first film and Amenabar elicits terrific performances from each.
The story is elegant in its simplicity and the ending is difficult to predict. The use of the séance scene to flip the film on its ear is inspired, creating a defining moment by taking an indirect approach. He brings us a supernatural thriller that is scary without the need for blood and gore, making the most of what is unseen. Often compared with `Sixth Sense' because of the final plot twist, this film is better in most of its technical elements, despite being slightly less flashy in its presentation.
As if Amenabar's genius weren't enough, Nicole Kidman kicks out the jams and delivers one of her best performances to date. She is utterly believable as Grace, the neurotically overprotective matriarch and mistress of the house. Her interaction with the children is exceedingly genuine, replete with nurturing affection and backbiting irritation at her daughter's perceived recalcitrance. Grace's daughter Anne is played by Alakina Mann who gives a phenomenal performance in her first film. Mann is sassy and stubborn and shows a strong backbone in the face of her oppressive mother. James Bentley, as her brother Nicholas, plays off Mann extremely well. Bentley's timidity and reliance on his sister creates a strong symbiosis between them that is extremely realistic.
This is a fantastic thriller by a director with a very promising future. While the pacing is sometimes overly deliberate, the story, music, camerawork, and the acting are first rate. I rated it 9/10. Don't miss it.