The Deep End

Rating:
Summary: A Beneath the Surface Thriller
Review: This is a fantastic film. Never once does it smack you over the head and inundate you with twists. Instead it slowly lures you in and holds on until it's over. If you're reading this review, chances are you already know what the film is about, since you have to pass the synopsis to get to this point. So the best thing for me to do is to give you an honest opinion and that is to see this movie. If you have the ability to use your brain, this film is for you. If not, scroll back to the top of the page and type in 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' Tilda Swinton is absolutely amazing, and Goran Visnjic is completely compelling. There is one close-up towards the end that will absolutely break your heart. And what is so great about it is that the movie doesn't pander to you, and that is why so many people don't like it. Sure the son is a jerk. But what teenager isn't? One reviewer has complained that the boy doesn't deserve what his mother does for him. And that reviewer is right. But Parental love is to never give up on your child and love them no matter what they do, or how they act. Swinton's character reacts to that instinct. Sure, what she does is inplausible and no one here would probably act the same way, but that's why it's a movie. Hitchcock wasn't plausible, but it is that inplausibility that draws you in and makes for a good movie. I implore you to see 'The Deep End', and come up with your own opinion. If you don't like it, 'Scooby-Doo' comes out this summer. If you do, consider yourself rewarded.

Rating:
Summary: Swinton's character [stunk]
Review: This plot didn't seem at all believeable and wasn't very interesting. Both the mother and son are idiots and -- if you actually watch the entire film (an unwelcome chore) -- you become infuriated at their inane and completely unsympathetic behavior as a family that specializes in NONcommunication. Swinton's character should be brought up on charges, not because she hid a body, but because any child who lived in a household with such an illogical and fragmented woman would either limp through life or cast off the family altogether.

When I think "film noir," I usually think "interesting characters" or "interesting plot," not "mind-numbingly stupid characters who should be shot." This movie attempts to cast the "stupid" definition on the entire genre, much like a sequel can occasionally be so bad that it taints your experience of the great movie that preceded it.

Rating:
Summary: see it for swinton
Review: the two stars that i give to this film go entirely to Tilda Swinton (in a 5 star performance), who is simply phenomenal as Margaret Hall, a woman whose desperate actions in the face of extreme circumstances help altogether redefine our notions of a mother's love for her child. Swinton deserves all the more praise for the fact that she could even pull such a believable and, ultimately, heartbreaking performance from what is essentially a b-movie script with uninspired direction and altogether unimpressive supporting performances.

first off, it was impossible for me to sympathize with the plight of Margaret's son, Beau, because of the fact that Jonathan Tucker provides such a sniveling, pathetic portrayal that i actually had a difficult time believing he was worth all of his mother's effort. all he does in the film is whine and mope and blush like a pre-raphaelite maiden and stupidly cast off his mother's attempts at establishing some sort of meaningful rapport with him (and she makes some honest, real, and sensitive attempts). it is only at the end, after Margaret has been through absolute hell for him and back, that it suddenly begins to dawn on his brilliant little mind that she had been on his side all along. sure, sure, blame it on pig-headed adolescent teen angst if you will; perhaps i could have done the same if it wasn't for the fact that Tucker gives such a one-dimensional performance that obnoxiously screams, "hey, look at me, the troubled and sensitive teen!" without providing any of the depth to allow the character to resonate with us. this kid should really take some acting tips from Nick Stahl, who adds layers and layers of complexity to the similar "sensitive young man" he plays in "In the Bedroom."

and then there is the stunningly ludicrous plot development of Goran Visnjic's character -- you know, the one who threatens to expose Margaret's secret if she doesn't cough up a huge wad of dough -- actually falling in love with Margaret and, even more ridiculous, her actually returning his affections. i mean, sure, i realize that walking into a movie, i'm going to need to suspend disbelief to some extent, but come on, this is WAY too much for the filmmakers to ask. for Margaret to fall in love with the man who represents the greatest threat to her family's stability, the very threat that allows her to pull together the strength needed to act in the remarkable, if disturbing, ways she does, is to completely undermine the integrity of that strength.

Rating:
Summary: SERIOUS DRAMA
Review: I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENDING. IT SEEMED A LITTLE TOO DRAMATIC FOR MY TASTE. "TILDA SWINTON" DOES A VERY CONVINCING PERFORMANCE, SO DOES "GORAN VISNIC" THE MAN WHO PLAY'S THE BLACK-MAIL COLLECTOR. BUT I FELT THERE WASN'T TOO MUCH TO BACK UP THE PLOT. THE HIGHLIGHT IN THE FILM FOR ME WAS WHEN "TILDA, EXPLAINS HOW IT'S LIKE TO BE A MOTHER WITH RESPONSIBILITIES, HOW HARD IT IS TO COLLECT $50.000. BESIDES THE PERFORMANCES THE MOVIE OVER DOE'S IT WITH THE MELLA-DRAMATIC. GABRIEL

Rating:
Summary: PRETTY GOOD, BUT NOT PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE
Review: The Deeep End is like A Simple Plan - a simple criminal scheme unravels, leading to ever more complicated coverups.

The movie examines the paradox of the tribal loyalty of a family whose members are so isolated from each other that they don't understand the others' deepest needs and desires. Indeed, the parents' ignorance of their son's homosexuality sets the film in motion. (The father is the most isolated character of all -- always out at sea in the navy.) One comical example of this is when the mother tells her father-in-law that she needs some money and he gives her $80, thousands of dollars less than she needs, but she can't bring herself to tell him the truth. Yet despite their ignorance of the real concerns of other family members, there is a deep and abiding love in the family that can lead them to make extreme sacrifices, as we witness in the mother's actions throughout the film. Even as we shake our heads at the mother's reckless actions (hiding a potential homicide) and irresponsible parenting (not pushing to find out whether her son killed his gay lover), we empathize with her love and maternal protective instincts.

The camera loves Tilda Swinton, which is good, because you'll see a lot of closeups of her in this film. She gives an excellent performance of a quiet but tough-as-nails mother. Acting kudos must go to the son too.

The blackmailer-with-a-heart-of-gold angle stretches credulity. Here's a tough guy knee-deep in crime, and he suddenly turns soft? Perhaps we're to think that he has fallen in love with the mother, but this would be a disappointingly hackneyed plot device, and the film doesn't confirm the suspicion. But if he's not in love with her, his motives are obscure.

Rating:
Summary: A rare jewel in today's Hollywood...
Review: I heard prior to seeing "The Deep End" that I would be blown away. It was an accurate opinion. My fingers never stopped gripping the bottom of my chair as I anticipated just how this complex and deliberate story would play out. Wide-eyed, I watched the performances of each actor and actress, all of which were brilliant. The relationship between Swinton and Visnjic was particularly captivating. The actual level to which each character felt about the other was left up to one's own imagination, like a good Hitchcock film, as their concentration never veered from the ultimate goal of helping a mother to protect her son. If Swinton doesn't win the Golden Globe or the Oscar, then she will have been cheated.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent and well acted movie.
Review: This movie is for anyone looking for excellent acting and a compelling story about an ordinary, yet extraordinary, mother. This is not for those who need car chases and explosions to enjoy a movie. That is not to say that this movie is without violence. It depicts violence and physical tension, but inflicted upon a normal family rather than upon members of a gang or the mob or any other group that violence usually follows. The movie compells the viewer ask, "What would I do if this happened to me?"

One thing to watch out for is the character development of the supporting actors. The movie mainly involves a mother, her son and a blackmailer. But, the writer and/or director take full advantage of the limited periods of the film depicting the other characters to give a full, believable picture of the family involved.

All in all, an enjoyable and quality movie.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful, beautiful movie
Review: A friend recommended this movie highly so I had high expectations.. When the movie started, I thought.. oh no.. I saw the previews of this and I said that I probably wouldn't like it... The movie was beautifully made.. the scenery is everything that I personnally am looking for as a place to live.. Tilda Swinton is amazing. Her tense face carries the movie and makes it totally believable.. even Nick's total turn around. As a mother I understood completely her actions even when logically disagreeing with them. One loose end though.. someone is still accused wrongly of the murder eventually which if we believe her character she will not be able to let go of so easily.

Rating:
Summary: Loving Tilda Swinton
Review: Tilda Swinton never strikes a false note as her character spirals through ever-escalating crises. She is, in fact, SO MUCH her character that there is only a sense of being in the presence of the character, and never with an actress playing the character. Oscar nominee, for sure... and a damned good story throughout.

Rating:
Summary: One of the worst movies I HAVE EVER SEEN.
Review: My dad told me this would be a good movie...so i went to see it with him. It supposedly got really good reviews and everyone said it was beautiful, thrilling, and suspenseful. IT WAS NONE OF THE ABOVE. DO NOT go and waste your money on this movie. It will be the 2 most boring hours of your life.