The man in new shoes

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2012)

I see no way to do a review of The Woman in Black without making some sort of legitimate comparison to that of Hammer horror films. For those unaware, Hammer horror films were films made under the British label Hammer Films. They were predominately active from the 1950's to the 1970's producing a wide variety of low budget horror films featuring eerie atmospheres and recognizable characters like Dracula, for instance. Their films always had the cinematography down to a tune, not to mention usually incorporating some element of film noir and science fiction in for good measure, and the term "Hammer horror" has been made synonymous over the years with stylistic efforts focusing on the lesser-shown pieces in the genre. Recently, in 2007 I believe, Hammer Films was revived and The Woman in Black marks one of the latest films from the company.
It reminds me of Ti West's The Innkeepers, a horror film of the same breed just released this year. It was an exercise in the genre of slowburn horror, neglecting all of the glossy special effects and gory set pieces that we have grown accustomed to, and threw in some effective atmosphere and tonal suspense to create an unsung blend of eeriness. Unfortunately, the film still has yet to get the recognition it deserves, yet may retain the minor cult following it has eagerly adopted.
The selling point for The Woman in Black is without a doubt, Daniel Radcliffe's name and after a decade of doing mostly Harry Potter films, only getting side-tracked by very small projects, he handles the role firmly and believably. I had a discussion with a friend on whether or not Radcliffe would fade away into nothing or would he continue to work on other projects. I quickly said that Hollywood will probably never let him stop working. He has such an ability to act with enigma, and never gives away too much or too little. He has grown up in front of the camera, dodging both harsh criticisms and media glorification. Will he ever be known as anything other than Harry Potter? That's a whole different subject. It would come as no surprise to me if he eventually made a film that would garner universal acclaim and land him a Best Actor win. Then maybe he would be known as that character. Or he will forever be the Mark Hammil of film.
Paying delightful homage to the Hammer Films, The Woman in Black starts us off by introducing us to Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe), a studious lawyer, father of a four year old child manning down the fort after his wife's death during birth, and trying to live as collective a life as possible in Edwardian era England. Ultimately, to prove he is still a successful and capable worker, he accepts a job from his boss to manage the estate of the recently deceased Alice Drablow, who had lived with her husband, son, and her sister in the Eel Marsh House.
Ostensibly, one could dub Arthur delusional. He consistently has visions of his wife and it isn't long before he begins to experience things of the supernatural nature in the Eel Marsh House. There is one scene in the second act that is about twenty minutes long of Arthur wandering around the house touching things, picking up knick-knacks and occasionally scared to death by a piercing noise or a sudden shift in the wind.
This is not a study on Arthur's unknown condition as much as it is a study on the Eel Marsh House itself, its location, decor, atmosphere, and vibes it brings after the death of its owner. It is inevitable that your mind will drift during the film, due to the lack of movement and events, but sometimes, the terror will virtually gnaw at you until you give in and jump a few times.
The Woman in Black is smarter than your average horror-fare, but is sometimes, literally, quietly incompetent. Its long patches of silence seem to be listless and it does come off as hokey and uneven more than it should. Still the sets are lovely, the music perfectly compliments the setting, and Radcliffe (who has to carry a lion's weight of the film) gives a strong performance, out of his comfort zone which was firmly placed into a character for over a decade. This is a solid and moderately strong effort in the genre.
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe. Directed by: James Watkins.