THE WOMAN IN BLACK # 11-2012

This movie had one of the weirdest advertising campaigns that I can remember.  A camera scans across patrons in a movie theatre until we see THE WOMAN IN BLACK.  I guess it worked because it will probably crash through the $20,000,000 mark at the box office this weekend.  Super Bowl weekend!

THE WOMAN IN BLACK follows down on his luck Arthur (Daniel Radcliffe).  Arthur’s young wife died in child birth leaving him distraught and on the verge of suicide.  The only thing that keeps him alive is caring for his four year old son (which is mostly done by a nanny).  Arthur is so sad that his son draws him with a frown face.

Arthur not only has troubles at home, but his boss is not happy either.  Apparently, he thinks that four years of grieving is long enough and sends him on one last job to save his livelihood.  He takes the train to a small town in the middle of nowhere to get the affairs of a recently deceased woman in order.

From the get go, the town’s folks give Arthur the cold shoulder.  In fact, they do almost everything but physically put him back on the train.  Arthur will have no part of it.  He is determined to complete his mission and right proper at that.  

Arthur is in town less than a day when the first child dies.  And I mean first child since he arrived, because lots have died in the recent past.  You see there’s this WOMAN IN BLACK who’s dead, but really pissed off over the loss of her son.  Any kid in town that takes one look at THE WOMAN IN BLACK and they immediately off themselves in some not so pretty ways.

The entire town knows that THE WOMAN IN BLACK is to blame, but none bother to leave.  Their kids are marked for death, but that’s OK.  No reason to rush off.  One couple is so scared that they keep their daughter locked in the cellar (which THE WOMAN IN BLACK had no problem penetrating).

In the end, THE WOMAN IN BLACK demands to do things her way.  A lawyer dies, which should please many.  SPOILER ALERT:  THE WOMAN IN BLACK won’t settle for a happy ending.

This movie had its share of flaws.  Sure, it provided some of those “jump” moments that this genre must deliver.  However, the plot drags - molasses slow (what did I expect, it’s British).  Arthur spends about 75% of the movie chasing noises around a spooky house.  Reminds me of the plodding TINKER TAYLOR SOLDIER SPY reviewed last month.  But come on, if you knew that hanging around in this town meant certain death for your child, you would run for the hills.  Even after Arthur figures out what’s going on, he let’s his kid come to town for a visit.  I’ll rate this film two of five airplanes.