This week, Daniel Radcliffe makes his way back to DVD with “The Woman in Black,” where he’s ready to show the world that he’s much more than the boy wizard.
“The Woman in Black” is the story of Arthur Kipling (Radcliffe), a young lawyer and recent widower. He’s sent to a remote village to take care of a local's estate, but he isn’t welcomed into the town with open arms. Many of the more prominent townspeople try everything to get Arthur to leave and, soon after arriving, Arthur learns why. The town has a dark history, and Kipling’s arrival has stirred up a long-dormant curse.
I was pleasantly surprised by Radcliffe's performance. It is jarring to see him onscreen at the start of the film and not think of Harry Potter. Luckily, after the awkwardness surpasses, it’s easy to settle into this new character — a relief since much of the weight is on Radcliffe’s shoulders.
The tone of the movie is spot-on and well-executed through the setpieces — the estate itself just as much a character as anyone else in the movie. I got a small chill down my spine each time the house was shown.
There are many things to love about "The Woman in Black," but the ending left me a little underwhelmed. I don’t want to give away too much, but it was very reminiscent of “The Grudge” and many other such movies before.
“The Woman in Black” is definitely a fun ghost story for those who are fans of things that go bump in the night, but I feel that the movie will ultimately be a love it or hate it for most people. Despite the ending, I would have to say that I’m still a lover of this movie.
The DVD has the obligatory filmmaker commentary and two short featurettes.
Film: 3 Yaps Extras: 3 Yaps