Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a home front wife whose husband is away fighting
the war in 1945. She lives with her two young children Anne (Alakina Mann) and
Nicolas (James Bentley) on Jersey, the Channel Islands. Since their servants had
mysteriously deserted them a week ago, Grace and her children are all alone in
the family mansion--at least until a trio shows up at the door. Mrs. Mills
(Fionnula Flanagan), Mr. Tuttle (Eric Sykes) and young Lydia (Elaine Cassidy)
arrive one day to apply for jobs as servants of the household. Grace is more
than happy to hire them. She quickly takes them on a whirlwind tour of the house,
as well as their duties. They discover that Grace's two children are
photosensitive; they have a severe and deadly reaction to sunlight. Therefore,
all of the curtains in the house must be drawn and the door to every room must
be kept shut and locked to prevent accidental sunlight from streaming inside.
There are also signs that Grace may have recently suffered some sort of
"episode", but she will not talk about it. And there's something else strange about the house,
which comes as a surprise even to Grace: there's something lurking in the
shadows, strange shapes flitting about in the darkness, odd whispers--even
crying--that's heard in empty rooms.
To go any further with the summation of the plot for The Others would be a crime.
To say there is a major twist in this film is putting it mildly. This is a
crackling good ghost story, with Nicole Kidman giving an outstanding performance
as a woman who is right on the edge of sanity. Writer/Director Alejando Amenábar,
along with his talented cast, deftly creates some chilling scenes using only
lighting, shadows and mood. And the plot twists make sense; even upon a second
viewing, the story gains a deeper resonance that makes it still more satisfying.
The two-disc DVD contains "A Look Inside The Others", a pretty standard "making
of" documentary. Far more interesting is the "Visual Effects Piece", which
deconstructs the special effects sequences in the film in a detailed and
fascinating manner via a split screen technique. There is also a well-done
documentary about Xeroderma Pigmentosum, or XP, the real-life genetic disorder
that makes a person literally allergic to sunlight. The documentary focuses on a
wonderful family with a little girl who has XP and their efforts to create as
much of a normal life for her as well as and others afflicted with this disorder.
They've created a support group that hosts Sundown Camp, an annual gathering of
XP patients and their families that organizes outdoor events at night. The DVD
also has a still gallery and the theatrical trailer. And "An Intimare Look" examines the
film's director. There is no audio
commentary. With its frightening scenes and unique twist, The Others joins "The
Haunting", "The Legend Of Hell House", "The Six Sense", and "A Stir Of Echoes" in the
pantheon of great ghost story movies.