hold your interest, but doesn't quite payoff

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2002)

In the British Crown Dependency of Jersey a woman lives alone with her two reclusive children in a creaky old house during the immediate aftermath of WWII, and clings to the hope that her husband will soon return home from battle. Preparing for the possibility that he may be KIA, she hires a trio of household servants but soon feels threatened by what she believes to be a supernatural presence in her home. Interesting, enjoyably old-fashioned thriller with a perfect part for Kidman is effective in creating a gloomy, spine-tingling atmosphere, but it never reaches a high level of intensity or suspense, and has a familiar ending that doesn't quite deliver. Still, it's hard to deny the film's skill and craft. **½