Rating: 
Summary: Complex Psychological Thriller
Review: I can understand why some viewers might be disappointed with this movie - it's NOT a typical murder thriller (the ads might have portrayed it as such). Ultimately, though, it's much better than the typical suspense film because of it's complex psychological undertones. Tilda Swinton plays a mother of three whose husband is in the Marines and frequently away. Her family is pretty idyllic, but she begins having problems with her oldest son, Beau. He's a talented student and musician and seems to be questioning his sexuality. His mother suspects that he is having an affair with a 30-year-old male nightclub owner. She tries to end the affair by talking to the older boyfriend. The next morning, she finds the boyfriend dead on the beach behind her house and suspects that he son had something to do with it. Events spiral out of control from there, and admitedly, some of the situations are not entirely believable and a bit melodramatic. Anchoring the movie is a superb, subtle performance by Tilda Swinton (she's best known from the movie "Orlando"). She's from the U.K., but portrays an American housewife more convincingly than most American actresses. Her performance alone makes this movie worth seeing. Other pluses include the breath-taking Lake Tahoe locations and sturdy direction. Highly recommended to audiences looking for something a little deeper than the typical thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: The acting surpasses the plot
Review: I was really cranked up to see this one. This is one of those movies that gets acclaimed, but slips in and out of theatres and cable so fast you sometimes miss it. Besides, Goran Visnjic is my wife's latest mental Boy Toy, so that helped get it prioritized for a viewing in our limited movie-viewing time. On the good side, Tilda Swinton does deserve every bit of acclaim she got for the role. She could have easily replace another Nicole Kidman ice-cold-man-manipulator role as an Oscar nominee, IMHO. It can't be an easy task for a mother to walk into a male gay nightclub, ask for the owner, and tell him to stay away from her son. She shows the fear as well as the determination well in doing this task. When she also portrays to Visnjic, from the viewpoint of a soccer mom, exactly why it's tough for her to scrape all the money he wants to steal from her in such a short time, I would think it would be convincing to many a hardened criminal. Goran Visnjic is also pretty good, as he has to portray a criminal with a potential change of heart. This role could have easily been reduced to "Ruthless People", where the demands for the money keep getting reduced, but he strikes a good balance between uncertainty and his obligation to his superior. Where it goes wrong, and unfortunately this is fairly big for me, is the ending. Where we see this woman putting together a heroic effort to protect a son that probably doesn't deserve it, I was hoping that there would be some kind of triumphant ending brought about by her wits. While not exactly a happy ending, my problem is that she gets aided plot devices we've seen too many times. I enjoyed the movie, but it deserved a much more elegant ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Everyone Is In The Deep End Here!!!
Review: I just recently watched The Deep End and I will say that It was time well spent as well as a piece of fine art. I saw Tilda Swinton in Love Is The Devil and The War Zone and I thoght her acting was great in those movies, however I will say that she does even better in this movie. I have seen Goran Visnjic in the TV series, ER playing a role of one of the doctors and I was surprised to see him in The Deep End meaning that I was completely unaware that he has done a movie project. It was a nice surprise to see him in this movie. I think both of them acted well together in thier roles. This story is set in Nevada and the scenery is very beautiful. I will also say that the theme, settings, plot and dialogue are excellent in this movie. This movie holds the viewer's attention and the emotions run very high in this movie. One can call this a drama as well as a thriller. There are twists and turns in this movie. I will say this is a definite edge-of-the-seat movie. Tilda Swinton plays an ordinary, innocent and devoted housewife, Margaret, who is also a very loving Mom will do anything to protect her children no matter what. She lives in a nice comfortable house with her children and father-in-law. Margaret's husband spends a lot of time out of town because of his job. Her house is located next to a lake. Margaret's world is ideal except for one fact, someone in her family has a skeleton in their closet that cannot be revealed at any cost. If this secret is exposed to the certain party, lives can be ruined permanently. Margaret does everything to cover up the skeletons in the closet and the plan works perfectly and the cover up is perfect. She now thinks she can breathe until a shady blackmailer, Alek (Goran Visnjic) from Las Vegas shows up at her house showing concrete proof that he knows her deep dark family secret. He demands an exorbitant sum of cash to keep him from showing his evidence to anyone who this matter would be of concern to. Alek is aware that she will not be able to come up with this amount of cash in such a short time, however he will not relent inspite of her begging and pleading. Margaret tries every legal method to get the money as well as liquidating some of her accounts, however she is on a very strict time limit and she has no luck coming close to the sum of money that has been demanded. Meantime, Alek is harassing the poor lady for the money and stating that he will go to the source that the secret will be useful to. He calls her at all hours and keeps showing up at her house. Nobody is aware of the predicament that Maragaret is in. Alek still won't budge to her pleas. He loves to play the casinoes in Las Vegas and hangs around a crowd of hard core criminals who mean business. The surprises keep coming in the story and the plot keeps thickening. I will not reveal anymore about the actual story in the movie, because I think one needs to watch it to see what happens. I want to say that both of the main stars in the movie do an excellent job in this movie. Tilda Swinton and Goran Visnjic both mold into their roles very well. Both of them are very convincing in the roles that they play. They actually become their characters in this movie. In Tilsa Swinton's role, the viewer likes Margaret very much and feels sorry for her as well. Goran Visnjic will scare you to a million pieces with his role as a ruthless blackmailer with the mastermind. It is a surprise to see Mr. Visnjic make a transition from a role as a hard working doctor who makes charitable trips to Africa to a role of a potentially dangerous Las Vegas hoodlum. I feel Tilda Swinton and Goran Visnjic shoud have won Oscars for The Deep End. I am glad the movie industry discovered both of these talented stars as I have not seen such fine film acting for several years. I wish I could personally reward both Tida Swinton and Goran Visnjic. I hope to see them in more movies, even if they are not starring together. I just don't know when they are in the movies. I highly recommend this movie and I will say it is good entertainment as well as a movie that should become a classic as time goes on.
Rating:
Summary: Independent and introspective
Review: The Deep End is a worthwhile drama/semi-thriller set in a welcoming Lake Tahoe suburb. There is an irrefutable water theme expressed with the insightful cinematography, which adds to the overall aesthetic quality of the scenery. The film is reminiscent of a British "cozy mystery" where a beautiful and often comforting town atmosphere acts as a buffer for an ugly or severe crime which threatens to disrupt the sanguinity of an otherwise peaceful town. The center of the setting of The Deep End is within Margaret's (the main character played by Tilda Swinton) house. She lives in a very traditional world with a military husband away on duty, and several bright, talented kids, whom she takes care of emphatically. The story begins with the revelation of Margaret's oldest son's hidden homosexual relationship. What follows is a suspicious, but accidental death of a shady character from Reno that is suspected to have had a special relationship with the son. The rest of the movie revolves around Margaret coming to terms with difficult situations and leading a secret life from her family and community. Though, The Deep End is not, in the strictest sense, a mystery. The genre is difficult to pin down, but it is perhaps in a similar category with Atom Egoyan's Exotica. Margaret's character is the strongest aspect of the film. She is portrayed as a very traditional wife and mother who has apparently not had to make too many big decisions independently in her life. Though, as the film progresses, it becomes obvious that she is a very strong and very intense woman who seems to have an almost unhealthy self-sacrificing drive to keep secrets from her family in order to protect them. Her son is also a strong character in the film. He is frustratingly innocent at times, but emotionally perceptive and with the same drive to protect his family (mainly Margaret) throughout the film. The third main character is a thug-with-a-heart-of-gold type. He is played by Goran Visnjic, who does a good job expressing his character's conflicting emotions and agendas. All three characters, by the end of the movie, are likeable, and not without their flaws. Overall, The Deep End is worth a viewing for those who are willing to sit through two hours of introverted suspense without laughing or crying: it is not funny or sad, but introspective, perhaps. The acting is spectacular. None of the leading actors are big stars and they do not seem to be afraid to act, rather than portray a designated personality like a lot of the familiar Hollywood faces. The Deep End is an undeniably unique film, at the very least.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful Study of the Mother/Son Relationship
Review: The myriad effects of the natural instincts of a mother are at the heart of this film, which explores the positive aspects, as well as the inherent flaws of those same instincts. The ways in which an ordinary person will react under extraordinary circumstances often produces results that are most inexplicable; and when it's a mother responding to a situation in which her son is involved, the results may, in fact, be absolutely incomprehensible. And in such cases, decisions made quickly in the shadows of the subjective are often revealed as unconscionable in the cold light of objectivity, a scenario examined by writers/directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, in their tension laced drama, "The Deep End," starring Tilda Swinton. Margaret Hall (Swinton) lives with her family in a picturesque lakeside home in Tahoe City, Nevada; but her life is about to become less than that offered by her distinctive surroundings. Her husband is away at sea on an extended tour of duty, and the care and responsibility of raising their three children has fallen to her. And all is not well. Her seventeen-year-old son, Beau (Jonathan Tucker), an aspiring musician who hopes to garner a scholarship to study music at college, has become involved with a man, Darby Reese (Josh Lucas) who owns a bar, The Deep End; and once she is aware of it, it's a situation of no little concern for a mother. For her son's welfare, Margaret knows that this relationship-- whatever the context-- must end, and she goes to Reese, insisting that he leave her son alone. There is some question as to whether or not he agrees, but regardless, late that night he shows up at Margaret's home, where he entices Beau to come outside with him. Things go badly, and by the next morning, Margaret is embroiled in a situation beyond her wildest nightmares. Blinded by fear and concern for Beau, she does something out of character for any rational person, yet within the parameters established by the unconditional love of a mother for her son. It's an act that brings more bad news to her doorstep, in the form of a man named Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic). And it's the beginning of a series of events that will take her into places darker than any she has ever known. McGehee and Siegel adapted their screenplay from the novel "The Blank Wall," by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding, and it's a taut thriller, to be sure; but it is so singular of purpose that it decidedly becomes more of a character study that focuses on Margaret, and the effects of that natural bond between mother and son that provides the catalyst for her motivation and the impetus of her actions. It's a story that clearly illustrates how even the most discerning individual (and most especially a mother) will abandon reason in the heat of the moment, giving way to the most primitive and basic instincts for survival that are inherently a part of the human condition. And though MeGehee and Siegel maintain the tension of the situation throughout the film, it does wear a bit thin along the way, and at least one pivotal element of the plot is questionable, and strains the credibility of the overall story. The real interest of the film, however, is the study of what the mother/son relationship is really all about, and how affecting it can be, especially under extreme circumstances. What really makes the film work, though, and what maintains interest, is the performance by Tilda Swinton as Margaret. And it's quite a feat, given the fact that the emotional boundaries she is given to explore are somewhat limited, as the conflict begins even as the film begins, and Margaret is driven on and presented in an emotional state that gives her very little latitude in which to operate. To her credit, however, Swinton finds all of the variables one could expect in what is basically a lone emotion, which encompasses concern and apprehension, and she conveys them admirably; it is, in fact, what keeps the film afloat. Her portrayal of Margaret is subtle, concise and introspective, and most importantly, comes across quite naturally; all of which makes her character and her actions-- which on the surface and in the cold light of day may seem questionable-- convincing. As Alek, Goran Visnjic gives a solid performance, though it somewhat lacks the kind of emotional depth that could have made this character more than what it is. Whether it is the way the character was written, or the way it was acted, there is an ambivalence to Alek that makes him less than believable. He looks good on the surface, and Visnjic does have some nice touches, but he doesn't tap into the absolute credibility that he needs. And it makes one aspect of the film seem a little too pat, as if the character is there merely as a means to an end, to help the story along and tidy up the resolution. It's a minor weakness, not worthy of blame; suffice to say that something apparently was missed in the translation of the material from page to screen. In retrospect, Visnjic does a good job with what he is given to work with. In a smaller, but pivotal role, Josh Lucas gives a good performance as Reese, creating a character that is repugnantly smarmy, a guy whose influence over one's son would be any mother's nightmare. Lucas does exceptionally well in this regard, and with comparatively little screen time; he uses his time well, however, as it is the nature of his character more than anything else that gives credence to Margaret's actions. The supporting cast includes Peter Donat (Jack), Raymond J. Barry (Carlie), Tamara Hope (Paige) and Jordan Dorrance (Dylan). As a thriller, this one has merit; but viewed as a character study/drama, "The Deep End" is even more engrossing. It's flawed, but it's still smart, thought provoking entertainment-- the magic of the movies.
Rating:
Summary: A Remake
Review: This is a very good, almost shot for shot remake of a 1939 film by Max Ophuls called "The Reckless Moment." Of course some things were changed (instead of the daughter having the offending relationship it is son who happens to be gay), but for the most part it is the same movie, which if you watch the credits to the end the filmmakers acknowledge this. I for one like Ophuls's film better, so if you liked this film I highly recommend "The Reckless Moment," that is if you can find it, it has been out of print for years and it is exceeedingly hard to even find a bootleg copy.
Rating:
Summary: Not a total waste, but not a total winner either.
Review: This film is a good example of justice being served. The baddies gets it by the end of the movie, and that's the main redeeming value. There are however, several flaws in the plot, including why the mother didn't just call the cops in the first place. We assume that it is because she wants to protect her son from murder charges, but with the broken railing and cause and time of death, the investigation should obviously yield the truth of what had happened. If she thought her son had actually murdered the victim, *why* didn't she even mention it to him? Again, not a total waste of time, but not a real winner either.
Rating: 
Summary: It's fortunate that I bought a used copy
Review: Fortunately I bough a used copy and the few dollars I spent won't haunt me as wasted. Note: I will never buy another movie advertised in the New Yorker again. Unfortunately I cannot take back the 2 hours it took to watch it hoping all along that it would get better by some magic. NO chance.
What a crashing bore! The plot is relentlessly unbelievable and the dialogue was apparently written by an escapee from a defunct writing school. When the characters speak to each other they stop before the end...not because there is tension in the plot but because they really have nothing to say!
Swinton's "mother" will take her place among cinematic pantheon of disturbed and disturbing mothers - Norman Bate's mother, Sigourney Weaver's Mother in Alien, et al.
And the son - the moron in the movie who is sublimely clueless about the goings on around him. Yup---Wellesley College is a better place than the Naval Academy. God forbid that the Naval Academy allows such mental castaways creatures as this the opportunity to destroy the nation from within.
Altogether a waste of time even with the soft porn scenes of 20 seconds or so.
Rating:
Summary: Great performance by Tilda Swinton
Review: Tilda Swinton makes this movie shine with her overly protective motherisque performance. Goran Visnjic is great also in an unusual role besides playing Dr. Kovac on E.R. the paranoia and suspense make this a great view
Rating:
Summary: Watchable Film!
Review: Goran Visnjic and Tilda Swinton are truly amazing in this small indie film that says so much in so little time. I like how everything comes together and how emotions are so high between each character. The scenery is also very beautiful as well it helps with the intriquing plot.
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