News Taffy

How many of us get so invested in a series, whether TV or movie, that when that series finally ends, it’s like the end of a relationship that’s hard to let go. This is how I felt about Harry Potter. I remember my first encounter with Harry was in the sixth grade when I read the first book in my reading class. Hogwarts, the characters and the adventure sucked me in. From there I continued, like the rest of the world to get excited about the next book and then came the movies. This past year, the love affair came to an end with the Deathly Hallows, but imagine my delight when I learned Daniel Radcliffe, Mr. Potter himself, would be in a new movie not as Harry, but as the lead in The Woman in Black.

I tried to prepare myself before going to this movie by blocking out all images of Harry, which proved to be useless when I came home to find my roommates doing what else… having a Harry Potter marathon. I resolved this problem by simply assuming that if Daniel Radcliffe is as good of an actor that I think he is, then his role would be far from anything Potteresque. (I just made that word up.)

In this movie adaptation of the 1983 novel by Susan Hill, Arthur Kipps (Radcliffe) is a man torn apart after the loss of his wife. Now a single dad and facing financial troubles, he is given one last chance to prove to his boss that he’s not a lost cause. Arthur is assigned the task of settling the estate of Alice Drablow in the town of Crythin Gifford, a place marked by unexplainable deaths and a ghostly presence (both of which he is unaware of). After arriving in town, Arthur is met with hostility from the locals and is all but told to get lost without reason, but he is intent on finishing the job. The only person who befriends him is the wealthy Samuel Daily (Ciaran Hinds), a man who invites him to have dinner with he and his wife, despite having their own issues.

While at the Drablow estate, which comes complete with its own cemetery, Arthur encounters weird noises, dark corridors and some of the creepiest toys on the planet. (I’m certain the set designers went to creepytoys.com to get these things.) While inspecting the house and searching for the origin of the mysterious noises, it is while looking out of the window that Arthur gets his first glimpse of the woman in black. He is at the police station reporting what he saw when two young boys bring their sister in claiming that she has drunk lye and then with one cough of blood, she dies in his arms. Upon hearing of the girl’s death, the townspeople are more adamant than ever to get Arthur to leave, but he resists. It is revealed that there have been a series of children dying in the community and everyone believes the woman in black is behind it all.

Arthur returns to the house determined to find some answers and then things really get crazy. The creepy just gets creepier and the truth of the woman in black’s fury and her real name are uncovered. Now Arthur may be the one in trouble.

The Woman in Black is a slow-developing horror movie with all the suspense and none of the over–the-top blood and guts that every other “scary” movie has. The dark purple, gray and black color scheme only further sets the tone for the film and adds to its allure. There are some definite jump out of your skin, hit the person next to you moments (I was hit by my friend Mallory about 10 times) and a lot of on-screen action to draw you in, even if you’re peeking through your fingers.

The issue of separating Daniel Radcliffe from Harry Potter turned out to be a non-issue, which I attribute to the Victorian wardrobe, some amazing sideburns and the lack of Potter’s trademark circle glasses and Gryffindor colors. The transformation Radcliffe has made only reaffirms his superb acting abilities and I look forward to seeing what he does next.

If you enjoy getting your heart rate up and feeling a little scared, this is definitely the movie for you. I give it a seven out of 10, which is mostly attributed to the fact that I have never heard so many people scream during a movie in my life. I think that proves that the suspense-building plot was quite effective.

So there you have it folks, my date with the woman in black was a success. I think we’ll get together again when she comes out on Redbox.

I will leave you with one little piece of wisdom my friends, don’t EVER try to go to the movies on a Friday night when Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan are having a concert in Jonesboro thinking that you’ll get there in time to watch previews because you won’t. Trust me on this, LEAVE EARLY!

Until next time,
-Raven