items tagged with The Others

UNITED 93

The question of whether it’s too soon for United 93 is endlessly debatable. Yet United 93 we have. And having seen Paul Greengrass’ dramatic re-creation of those shattering minutes aboard the doomed Newark-to-San Francisco flight on the morning of September 11, 2001, it seems that the timing of its release isn’t just acceptable but – for this particular film, at any rate – absolutely essential.

BIRTH

It’s pretty easy to see why audiences hate Jonathan Glazer’s Birth, which features Nicole Kidman as Anna, a grieving widow who believes that the soul of her late husband, Sean, is alive in the body of a 10-year-old boy with the same name.

HIDALGO

As family-friendly adventures go, the Disney-produced western Hidalgo isn’t all that bad, but it sure could have used a feistier directorial spirit, something like what Gore Verbinski brought to last summer’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

MEN IN BLACK II

I'm not sure how much there is to say about Men in Black II, director Barry Sonnenfeld’s sequel to his sci-fi/comedy smash. There’s always something to look at, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones provide the occasional flash of dry wit, and it’s all over blessedly fast – the movie runs some 85 minutes with end credits, and you wouldn’t want it to last a minute longer.

THE OTHERS

Alejandro Amenabar’s ghostly The Others feels like the film version of some beautifully chilling short story by Lovecraft or Shirley Jackson, where “Boo!”-style thrills take a back seat to dread and psychological complexity; it’s a savvy, entertaining piece.