REVIEW: The Woman in Black (12A)

I remember, years ago, going to see the play of The Woman in Black in the West End and being told by everyone that it was the most terrifying thing EVER! I left the theatre disappointed, feeling rather short changed that, yes, it had scary moments but it was, to my mind, far from being the scariest thing EVER!



Today I went to see The Woman in Black in its movie version. It has, of course, generated a lot of publicity as you'd expect from the first movie adaptation of a best selling novel that's also been a hugely successful West End play. Oh, and of course, it's Daniel Radcliffe's first movie since the Harry Potter franchise came to an end last year. In recent weeks it's been difficult to avoid Mr. Radcliffe while he does the publicity rounds - in fact, the only people with a higher public profile in recent weeks are disgraced footballers and Muppets (insert your own joke here!).

The movie has been adapted by Jane Goldman from the original Susan Hill novel and is very different from the play, which is a two-hander, though the bulk of the acting is done by Radcliffe and Ciaran Hinds who plays Daily, the wealthy local landowner who takes it upon himself to help Kipps.

The story tells of Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer, who travels to a remote village in the North East of England in order to sort out the estate of a deceased woman. He isn't welcomed by the locals, who make the locals in American Werewolf in london seem friendly but he, nonetheless, begins work at the old house which is situated on a tidal island. Gradually, as he gets to work, strange things start happening and he sees visions of the Woman in Black.

It's a tremendous ghost story, and it's great to see the legendary Hammer brand being relaunched like a phoenix from the flames of oblivion. The scares come, on the whole, from your own imagination. There's lots of suggestion and things are implied without things being particularly graphic or gruesome. I'm really not one of gory slasher movies! There's always something sinister when you combine clockwork toys, shadows, candles and an old, deserted house - this uses these brilliantly and, I have to admit, I got goosebumps and chills on several occasions through the film.

There were some genuine squeals of fright from others in the cinema too. If you don't get to see it at the cinema, and I suggest you do try to see it on the big screen, it'll be a great movie to watch on DVD at Hallowe'en.