Review

The despairing Arthur Kipps has not got over the death of his wife in child birth and is left bereft with a four year old son he entrusts to a nanny. His place of work, a solicitors' office, has had it with his poor performance and offers Kipps a final chance to redeem himself. He needs to travel to the isolated hamlet of Cryphin Gifford and determine the final will and testament of Mrs. Drablow in regards to the almost derelict Eel Marsh House. The House is a Mansion that you can get to by a causeway, but which is cut off during high tide.

Naturally Cryphin Gifford has its own secrets, Kipps pretty quickly finds he is unwelcome with the only source of friendship being local landowner Daily and Daily's wife who has a few Roos bounding around the top paddock. Even worse Eel Marsh House is haunted by the Woman in Black, a revenant that causes the death of a child if seen. Guess which House Kipps needs to visit and spend a night in, guess what he sees, and guess whose son is arriving by train to visit dad in Cryphin Gifford? Can Kipps solve the riddle of the Woman in Black, appease her tortured soul, and save his son from joining the ranks of wandering shades at Eel Marsh House?

The Woman in Black is a remake of the 1989 movie of the same name, stars Harry Potter himself, and is the fourth movie in the newly resurrected Hammer Studios stable. Which pretty much ensures I was hot to get my grubby hands on a copy, having loved the original (impossible to find currently), and also having been a fan of Hammer for years. Daniel Radcliffe was an unknown quantity for mine, sure he held his own in the eight or so Harry Potter movies but could he hold together a movie that required some acting ability that didn't involve casting spells?

The first thing I noticed on viewing Woman in Black was just how bleak the atmosphere was, there's no room for colour in the movie. We're talking washed out greys, a constantly overcast and heavy atmosphere, and a feeling that at any time Eel Marsh House might simply sink into the marsh. If the weather combines with the fog to make things drearier than a Stephenie Meyer novel, it is only increased once we get inside Eel Marsh House. Ominous doesn't begin to describe it, we're talking a constant threatening atmosphere and decay that would put Hell House to shame. If ever a place screamed out "hunted" it's Eel Marsh House. Of course Hammer veterans will be right at home here, and have to say I was digging it!

Simply an excellent haunted house tale, if we didn't know it yet Hammer are back baby

Director James Watkins kicks off his movie in what has to be said is stunning style. Three young girls are having a tea party, complete with freaky looking dolls, and a ceramic play tea set. The first notable thing is the period props and outfits, the second is that all three girls suddenly look up at the same area, as if seeing someone else in the room. The girls stand up in a synchronised fashion that would put Olympic swim teams to shame, walk through their tea party, breaking dolls and cups, to three tall windows. There's probably some fundamental message with the three thing, but hey I'm here for the chills and thrills, those needing to justify their horror movie experience with analysis of movies can hit that one, I was just slightly amused at how pat it was. Anyways all three girls open their individual windows and leap out, we assume this must be from some height. I was mightily impressed with the opening and was rocking out to the implications.

Surprisingly Watkins keeps the children in danger aspect to the fore throughout the movie, always a dangerous approach as if you get it wrong people are going to really rip your movie a new one. Watkins thankfully keeps it solid, and puts pressure on his central character Kipps to resolve the mystery as Kipp's own son is due to arrive in the Village.

The Woman In Black operates throughout as pretty much a ghost story, in traditional Brit fashion. There's a revenant on the loose and there's a mystery to solve in order to reign in the terror campaign the titular ghost is conducting. The feeling is that if Kipps can crack the issue the cranky spirit has then things will go back to something less than out right terror in Cryphin Gifford. Naturally this will involve some suffering from Kipps, he is after all a tragic figure still pining for his wife.

This being a ghost story Kipps naturally has to spend an evening in Eel March House, which is where Director Watkins really gets his haunt on. As opposed to the Hollywood requirement to have lots of dimly seen spectres rushing past the camera in the background, and more CGI than Weta could expect to put into a Lord of the Rings movie, Watkins relies on sound, fear of the dark, and having simple shock tactics get under the audience's skin. For most of the movie the fear is of something happening, and we do get plenty of haunted house paraphernalia, rather than what is happening. It adds volumes to the tension and atmosphere as Kipps looks down darkened hallways, goes upstairs in reaction to an undefined noise, and the large marsh manor house surprisingly becomes increasingly claustrophobic. Director Watkins understands completely what genre he is working in, and more importantly he is making a Hammer movie.

Daniel Radcliffe (Arthur Kipps), taking on his first major role outside the Harry Potter franchise, is pretty much the sole focus throughout The Woman in Black. Radcliffe, while perhaps being slightly melodramatic for some, worked for me. All about wanting to get the job done but being depressed throughout, when the tough get going Kipps is looking inwardly at his woes. The only real thing that kicks Kipps out of his rut is the fear of what might happen when his son arrives in the village, Radcliffe is right across this requirement. While the legions of Potter fans didn't propel Lady in Black into the box office stratosphere, the blame certainly cannot be laid at Daniel Radcliffe's feet.

Guess it goes without saying that Gorehounds won't be scratching at the back door of Women in Black any time soon, a haunted house fable after all isn't about the viscera hitting the floor, similarly T&A is simply not a happening thing. This movie operates as a horror movie without the need for additional bunting to keep things rocking, which is of course probably more the underlining factor in the box office results around the globe.

I caught the original movie late one night on Aussie television and have been a fan ever since, though the original is proving to be damn elusive to track down. So I was slightly concerned with a remake, even though Hammer were at the helm. Would they keep to the sinister atmosphere of the original or would they Hollywood up to make a mad woman's breakfast out of things. Director Watkins alleviated my fears almost immediately, throwing on a period orientated haunted house tale that capture my attention from first frame to last frame. While there is the odd bit of "ghost rushes camera", Paranormal Activity has a lot to answer for, Women In Black for the most part focuses on getting its "things that go bump in the night" right. I was more than happy with the revenant movie sent my way, and give it a full recommendation to horror and non-horror fans alike. You want to get your haunted house movie on, Eel Marsh House will fit that requirement.

Women In Black is available via the various disc options, but be warned the original movie was not included on the R4 release. Besides that disappointment Hammer are sending a pretty decent package your way.