Frank
Chairman of the Board
Overall, I'd give it a "B". It's a classically told ghost story, set on a foggy English channel island in a dark old mansion, at the end of the second World War. Nicole Kidman's character greets three people at her door who are applying for the servants jobs, after the abrupt sudden departure of all of the servants overnight. As she goes about the house, she painstakingly informs the newcomers that the rooms must always be locked - that upon entering any new room, the old room must be locked shut. Also, the curtains MUST be drawn anytime the children need to pass through, because they are deathly allergic to *light*.
Ok. That's the first ten to fifteen minutes. For the next hour and a half, small hints are dropped until you reach the final, heart-stopping fifteen minutes, without about one or two 'scares' in between.
To be blunt - it's too slow. I felt at times I was watching a really really long Twilight Zone episode. The story is not complex, and it's not as profound in spots as is "The Sixth Sense" to which it will likely be compared. But not bad. Worth a look.
Ok. That's the first ten to fifteen minutes. For the next hour and a half, small hints are dropped until you reach the final, heart-stopping fifteen minutes, without about one or two 'scares' in between.
To be blunt - it's too slow. I felt at times I was watching a really really long Twilight Zone episode. The story is not complex, and it's not as profound in spots as is "The Sixth Sense" to which it will likely be compared. But not bad. Worth a look.