Rated
PG-13 (Thematic Material and Violence/Disturbing Images)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 35 Minutes
Cast-
Daniel
Radcliffe-Arthur Kipps
Ciarán
Hinds-Sam Daily
Janet
McTeer-Elizabeth Daily
Roger
Allam-Mr. Bentley
Liz
White-The Woman in Black
Sophie
Stuckey-Stella Kipps
Misha
Handley-Joseph Kipps
Jessica
Raine-Joseph’s Nanny
Directed
by James Watkins
 |
| Looks like we're not in Hogwarts anymore... |
The
“Harry Potter” films have earned a gargantuan $7.7 billion at the worldwide box
office (more than we normal folk will ever make in a lifetime so keep dreaming)
but now that it’s all over, what’s next for the three stars who has spent the
last ten years bringing our favorite fantasy characters to life? Rupert Grint
has a number of projects lined up but for now he’s content with being the proud
owner of an ice cream truck while Emma Watson is currently studying abroad at
Oxford University before returning to Brown for her final year. She is set to
appear in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” this year, based upon the 1999
novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky. Mr. Potter himself, Daniel
Radcliffe, is already a Broadway star with Equus
and How to Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying but his first film role after “Harry Potter” is “The Woman in
Black,” based upon Susan Hill’s 1983 novel of the same name. Hill’s novel was
previously adapted into a stage play by Stephen Mallatratt in 1987 (which
continues to run to this day) and a television film in 1989. “The Woman in
Black” is an old-fashioned ghost story that Hollywood rarely makes anymore and
while the film may not do anything wholly original, it manages to provide a
spooky enough atmosphere thanks to its impeccable production design.
Taking
place during the early 1900’s in London and the surrounding countryside, young
solicitor Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) prepares to set out for the small
town of Crythin Gifford to settle the large estate of the recently deceased
Alice Drablow, who lived in Eel Marsh House in northeastern England. Kipps has
a four-year-old son named Joseph (Misha Handley) but his wife Stella (Sophie
Stuckey) passed away during childbirth. During the train ride to Crythin
Gifford, Kipps meets a wealthy landowner named Sam Daily (Ciarán Hinds), who
easily deduces that he was sent from London to sell Eel Marsh House. As it is
raining heavily, Sam offers to drive Kipps to the local village inn and invites
him to his home for dinner with his wife Elizabeth (Janet McTeer) the next
evening. Kipps is greeted with a chilly reception by the innkeeper, who reveals
that all the rooms have been booked and that he should go back where he came
from. The innkeeper’s wife convinces her husband to let Kipps stay for one
night up in the attic. The townspeople regard Kipps with cold suspicion but he dutifully
sets out in the morning to Eel Marsh House to begin his paperwork. However, he
is interrupted by strange noises coming from the upstairs bedroom and goes to
investigate. Kipps finds only a crow’s nest but when he looks out the window,
he sees a veiled woman dressed in black standing alone in the garden. A series
of terrifying events begin to occur but despite the objections of the
townspeople, Kipps sets out to learn the truth about the mysterious woman in
black.
Although the presence of Daniel Radcliffe makes marketing “The Woman in
Black” easier toward general audiences, the plot is rather thin as much of the
film is simply a series of extended scare sequences. Contrasting with
Hollywood’s more flashy efforts, director James Watkins opts for a traditional
approach by utilizing light and shadow in order to maximize the suspense and
frightening atmosphere. This is highly effective thanks to Tim Maurice-Jones’
immaculate production design. Eel Marsh House is as much a character as Arthur
Kipps with its candle-lit decaying walls and dark corners that suggest something is watching us. Even the most
mundane items such as a porcelain doll or a windup toy seem terrifying and add
to the creepy ambiance of every scene thanks to Watkins’ creative camera angles
and lighting. However, the film relies on jump scares a little too much and is at its most spooky when
it builds up toward it while you squirm in your seat waiting for it to be over.
The eponymous ‘woman’ herself is also smartly utilized sparingly but her
presence is felt in every scene even if only glimpses are afforded to her. Despite
the flimsy story from Jane Goldman, the writing is generally solid and the
characters are given enough depth to allow you to care about them. The ending
is also not as dark as I had expected and is oddly bittersweet for a horror
film. “The Woman in Black” may eschew originality for tried-and-true ghost
story tropes but what it does, it does very well.
While the film relies more on
its atmosphere and set design, the cast give solid performances. In his first
role after Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe remains mournful and stoic but he
reacts convincingly to all the supernatural occurrences that happen around him.
However, the character of Arthur Kipps was written as older and some of the
scenes with his son feel awkward considering that Radcliffe is no older than
me. The ever reliable Ciarán Hinds is also on-hand as a father dealing with the
loss of his son but for much of its ninety-five minute running time, its
Radcliffe’s show with Hinds relegated to sidekick.
“The Woman in Black” was
released on February 3, 2012 to mildly positive reviews with 63% on Rotten
Tomatoes. Critics found it ‘traditional to a fault, [the film] foregoes gore
for chills—although it may not provide enough of them for viewers attuned to
more modern, high-stakes horror.’ The production budget was a low $17 million
and it has already grossed an impressive $46 million domestic thanks to
Radcliffe’s casting. While I did jump out of my seat a few times, I wouldn’t call
the film particularly scary but I observed two young women sitting next to me
constantly covering their eyes every time Marco Beltrami’s gothic and ominous
score plays and Radcliffe starts to slowly creep around the house. Those weaned
on blood and gore will find “The Woman in Black” boring but for people who can
appreciate an old-fashioned ghost story, there’s much to like in James Watkins’
adaptation even if originality is nowhere to be found.
Final
Rating: 3 out of 5
“I
will never forgive...I will never forgive...”
Posts
