The Woman in Black

Sir Nunnos reviews…The Woman in Black

Opinions about films, like taste in haircuts, handbag-sized dogs and health food fads, vary widely. What one critic slates, another will love. What one deems as exciting and fresh, another will class as dull and boring. Ultimately, there is no right and wrong in opinion. The studios never quite know what their films are going to do once the general public – you and I – actually get their hands on them. 

It’s fascinating to hear what people say about films as they leave a cinema. Opinion varies as much among friends and family as it does in the pages of the national papers. I’ve heard many opinions of The Woman in Black, from terrifying to terrible (the latter by a man who left the auditorium an hour into the movie, no less).

I’ve also heard it called predictable.

Now I’ll grant you, some films are as insultingly inevitable as a rigged election of a beret-bedecked military dictator. I’ll even accept that there are some aspects to this title that are predictable. The protagonist’s attempt to fix the misty little town’s supernatural dilemma was obvious from the moment the titular fiend’s tale of woe became apparent. But using a staple of a genre isn’t enough to condemn a script. Just look at all the rom-coms out there: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Familiar story line? It should be. 

However, I have to confess that I didn’t expect much from this film. My lack of expectation was less to do with the off-the-shelf script twists and more to do with the star. After so long in a single role, can anyone really see Daniel Radcliffe as anything but that incredibly annoying little wizard so loved by the kids (and their parents)? There were times when I fully expected the wand to come out, or the Woman in Black to be – ta da! – Voldemort, in disguise.

Despite myself, I was pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong for the most part. Radcliffe’s performance was fairly strong: more so in the sections of particularly negative emotional content (flashback sequences and the like); marginally less convincing in the “normal” scenes. I found myself chuckling at his somewhat wooden discomfort watching a far superior performer playing the part of a crazy, puppy feeding, spirit channelling medium.

Speaking of the crazy lady, I was particularly impressed by the supporting cast in this movie. Ciarán Hinds as Sam Daily gave me shivers as the father suppressing his grief at a lost son. Despite just a cameo role, I was delighted to see Victor McGuire on the big screen again. He’s an underused and underrated actor, and all the more impressive here, presented in a role completely devoid of comedy (Lock Stock’s evil northerners coming to mind but for a second).

One of the more common complaints I’ve heard about the Woman in Black is how draining the start can be. The first 20 minutes of character setup might seem tedious in a time where “horror” commonly means graphic gore-fests like SAW XVIII (or whatever nauseatingly poor sequel we’re up to now). Don’t be fooled though: this title is a classically styled supernatural suspense thriller, with little modern image trickery and a couple of great “jump out of your seat” moments. Wade through that intro and you’ll be rewarded.

Many have tried and failed to leave the shadow of a huge role. Will Radcliffe ever be as comfortable outside Hogwarts as Harrison Ford was outside the Millennium Falcon? Time will tell. For now, I recommend The Woman in Black to fans of the supernatural suspense genre, or of Mr Radcliffe. But that’s just my opinion.

Sir Nunnos rates this movie: 60%