Review: The Woman in Black

STAR RATING: *****

OK. I was really scared to see this movie.

Just the day before I had been queueing at the cinema waiting to see a different film, when my cousin came out of one of the screens, completely freaked out and shaking, telling me that the film she had just seen was completely terrifying!

The Woman in Black.

To be honest I was fighting two thoughts in my head. The first said 'it's a 12A... how bad could it be?' and the second voice said 'don't go and see it - it's going to be reaaaaally scary'. I mean, seeing my cousin's reaction wasn't the only time I had been forewarned about this movie - my other peers and official reviews also emphasised that it was probably going to give me nightmares for the next few weeks.

.... buuuuuuttt... I went to see it anyway ;)

I have to be honest, I wasn't scared as I thought I would be. I'm not sure if this was because the hype had geared me up so much that I was expecting the worst and it therefore seemed less scary when it didn't match my expectation, ... or if perhaps I was putting on a brave face whilst surrounded by other cinema-goers.
...But I wouldn't deny that it is very very creepy and very haunting. This movie is exactly the type of example that can be used to show the difference between a horror movie and a ghost story. It is definitely a ghost story, and although this label implies a lack of scariness, this is definitely not the case. I may not have been terrified, but I was definitely cowering into my seat for some parts.. and I did jump... a lot.

The story is based around Arthur Kipps, played by Daniel Radcliffe, who is called to a remote mansion called Eel Marsh House to settle the late-owner's estate. He arrives to the nearby oh-so-creepy village where he intends to stay whilst carrying out his business, only to receive very unwelcoming attitudes from the local residents, with the owners of the inn he is supposed to be staying in telling him they have no spaces, and the local solicitor telling him to leave town on the next train and he is not needed.

Yes, yes, very suspicious! We get the immediate feel of eeriness and a 'hidden secret'.

Spooky stuff.

Anyway so, Kipps ignores them and continues to the house the following day. Almost immediately after he walks through the front door of the old mansion, you begin to sense something is wrong. This feeling is probably encouraged by the haunting music and grey colours that seem to scream GHOST!!!!

After a few jumpy moments... the ones that make you think that something big is going to happen, Kipps begins to experience some ghostly happenings, such as noises and seeing things out of the corner of his eyes Once he even sees the Woman in Black herself, though at this point he knows nothing of her....

and then the story really begins...

... and that is where my general plot-overview ends. I really can't give anything away, you see ;)

To generally review the film, Daniel Radcliffe is absolutely brilliant. I was concerned about how young he is and looks... with Arther Kipps being a father and all, but if you think about it, in this Victorian era it was probably common to be a family man at such a young age, when old age was so uncommon. Nonetheless, his mannerisms really accentuate maturity and the way he acts with his on-screen son really makes you believe he is a father. I really did imagine I would be thinking "oh my god, it's Harry Potter" the whole time... but it didn't actually cross my mind once. To me, he was just Arthur Kipps.
Aside from Radcliffe's outstanding performance (in my opinion), I was so impressed with the general direction (James Watkins) and screenplay (Jane Goldman). The particular scene(s) in which Kipps stays in the house for an entire night, were exceptional. It wasn't until after the movie had finished that someone mentioned to me that, in this section of the film, there was about thirty minutes where there was no dialogue at all. I hadn't even noticed, and I think that really is a good sign, don't you think? To be so caught up in a story... it's what you really want out of a film.

Okay, so I know I keep giving movies good reviews... but I guess I have just seen some good movies lately. The Woman in Black is definitely one of the best films I have seen in a long time. It is a fantastic horror(ish) movie that also holds a great storyline, which I think is so hard to find.

A definite must-see.

Until we blog again,
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