Daniel Radcliffe's latest vehicle, The Woman in Black, takes us to Dreary Old England near the turn of the twentieth century. First and foremost I am pleased to report that fans of the Happy Potter series should have little to no difficulty being able to appreciate Radcliffe in a role that does not require him to wear glasses or a school uniform. There is nary a wizard in sight but The Woman in Black does not shy away from the supernatural.
The story begins as Arthur Kipps prepares to leave on a business trip for his firm. He must travel to Northern England in order to settle the estate of a recently departed old woman. He has been widowed since his wife died in childbirth four years ago. His young son is set to join him at his destiny by week's end, accompanied by the nanny.
As Arthur draws near his destination, he meets a stranger on the train who offers him a ride to the public house in which he is to stay. Along the way we discover that this man is wealthy and that he is the first to own an automobile in the county. According to him, it still frightens the locals. This is indicative of the mindset of the township as a whole. That's important, guys, so pay attention. These locals are superstitious.
Arthur is met with strangeness at every turn and his arrival at the decrepit house of the aforementioned old lady does nothing to alter the situation. This place sits on an island and it set off from the mainland by a clever but decidedly inconvenient sandy causeway which disappears with every rise of the tide. It seems that this very causeway claimed the life of a young child years ago and kids in the neighborhood have been dropping left and right ever since. The locals believe this is the work of the grieving, titular Woman in Black. But who could possibly believe in something so silly as a vengeful ghost? That never happens. I refuse to divulge any further because that's not my style. I think you get the idea. Now let's talk about the technical stuff.
The gloomy atmosphere of this film is perfectly wrought via the use of color, lighting, expected English fog and some well placed sound effects. I will openly admit that it got me several times. But while I enjoy a good technical scare, I much prefer my horror to keep me up at night. This film likely won't do that. It didn't do it for me. But it does contain several chill-inducing moments that rise above the old kitty-in-the-cabinet trick. The specter herself is nerve-jangling and has a habit of shifting into view while you are happily distracted with another part of the frame. That's always fun. I really have nothing bad to say about this film. I cannot even complain about the performances. Well done.
The storyline isn't crazy-new but it's not bad. The plot contains more depth than I expected and even
the parts that you predict will be predictable aren't quite as predictable as you may predict they will be. You should find enough surprises along the way to leave the theater satisfied. You may even find yourself pausing before treading the distance of a long hallway. That, I did do.
Bravo to Mr. Radcliffe for successfully shaking the character that could easily have trapped him within the halls of Hogwarts for Eternity. I wish the same luck upon his counterparts.
The story begins as Arthur Kipps prepares to leave on a business trip for his firm. He must travel to Northern England in order to settle the estate of a recently departed old woman. He has been widowed since his wife died in childbirth four years ago. His young son is set to join him at his destiny by week's end, accompanied by the nanny.
As Arthur draws near his destination, he meets a stranger on the train who offers him a ride to the public house in which he is to stay. Along the way we discover that this man is wealthy and that he is the first to own an automobile in the county. According to him, it still frightens the locals. This is indicative of the mindset of the township as a whole. That's important, guys, so pay attention. These locals are superstitious. Arthur is met with strangeness at every turn and his arrival at the decrepit house of the aforementioned old lady does nothing to alter the situation. This place sits on an island and it set off from the mainland by a clever but decidedly inconvenient sandy causeway which disappears with every rise of the tide. It seems that this very causeway claimed the life of a young child years ago and kids in the neighborhood have been dropping left and right ever since. The locals believe this is the work of the grieving, titular Woman in Black. But who could possibly believe in something so silly as a vengeful ghost? That never happens. I refuse to divulge any further because that's not my style. I think you get the idea. Now let's talk about the technical stuff.
The gloomy atmosphere of this film is perfectly wrought via the use of color, lighting, expected English fog and some well placed sound effects. I will openly admit that it got me several times. But while I enjoy a good technical scare, I much prefer my horror to keep me up at night. This film likely won't do that. It didn't do it for me. But it does contain several chill-inducing moments that rise above the old kitty-in-the-cabinet trick. The specter herself is nerve-jangling and has a habit of shifting into view while you are happily distracted with another part of the frame. That's always fun. I really have nothing bad to say about this film. I cannot even complain about the performances. Well done.
The storyline isn't crazy-new but it's not bad. The plot contains more depth than I expected and even
the parts that you predict will be predictable aren't quite as predictable as you may predict they will be. You should find enough surprises along the way to leave the theater satisfied. You may even find yourself pausing before treading the distance of a long hallway. That, I did do.Bravo to Mr. Radcliffe for successfully shaking the character that could easily have trapped him within the halls of Hogwarts for Eternity. I wish the same luck upon his counterparts.
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