A fresh and refreshing look at a familiar subject.

Rating: 8/10 (5 August 2002)

I was able to get around to viewing this film for the first time just the other day. And it is one of the most beautifully made movies of the past several years.
As I viewed it, this film struck me quite quickly as a cross between "The Sixth Sense" (1999, M. Night Shyamalan) and "The Haunting" (1999, Jan de Bont). The eerie sound effects are reminiscent of the latter, with a plot that loosely follows the former (Grace's daughter Anne is able to see and talk with the spirits in the house, while Grace herself cannot see anything at first, much like Cole Sear and Bruce Willis in "Sixth Sense").
The things that attract my attention in a movie aren't so much the dialogue, but the look of the film, the way it feels and flows and the way the actors portray themselves.
The look of the film, just from looking at it, must have been very difficult to photograph in such low light. Although it features a production crew made up of people I've never heard of, they managed to put together a magnificent set and managed to be able to photography every single square inch of it. Photography was obviously well rehearsed, with the low-light visuals and excellent angles used throughout the film.
The feeling of the film is very emotional and has a religious theme. It's really quite amazing to see how much influence religion has in horror/suspense films. The emotions flow primrily from Kidman, who excellently plays against her usual roles to play a very protective mother in 1945s post-WWII United Kingdom.
The fact that Kidman looks a great deal like Grace Kelly was, if intended, a magnificent choice for the film. Grace Kelly, for those that don't know her, was a deeply family-oriented woman who even quit her movie career to dedicate herself to her new family shortly after marrying the crown prince of Monaco. In the movie, Kidman aggressively tries to keep her children in line and under control, and for the most part, succeeds.
This is one of the most striking films I've seen in a long while. It's fresh and masterful approach to a familiar subject is a welcomed refreshment.