Rating: 
Summary: All that, for the last five minutes
Review: I came to 'Dark Harbor' with illicit knowledge of the denouement, just by virtue of the place I'd first seen it reviewed. Given that DH is a suspense thriller, the sort where the ending should make you re-evaluate everything you've seen previously, I won't pass on what I knew. Which is a real shame, because some of you out there would buy the dvd just for those last 5 minutes, if you knew what they were - despite the fact that the preceding 84 are less than stellar. But I can at least tease with the fact that we get a full frontal nude shot of Alan Rickman, albeit from a distance. There are not enough nude men in the movies; kudos to Rickman for evening up the balance.So what brings the movie down in the ratings? Certainly not the acting. Rickman, as David Weinberg, demonstrates his usual command of the set which so unnerved Kevin Costner, with a subtlety which might surprise viewers who have only seen him in his more flamboyant villain roles. Rickman is fearless in presenting unpleasant, difficult characters who nevertheless engage our sympathy. The only rub is the unconvincing Jewish Bostonian accent, which undermines his most powerful tool as an actor: his rich, expressive voice. Given that the plot hardly turned on him being American, it seemed a bit pointless to hamper his performance like that. Thank heavens the same decision wasn't made in regard to Polly Walker, who has a classic beauty but again makes the acting grade more for her wonderful, low clear diction. Her cut-glass British accent enhances rather than distracts from her character, Alexis, giving her both the air of reserve and the upper-class status which strengthen some of the more creaking elements of the plot. Alexis is the primary viewpoint character of the film, a presence in virtually all the scenes except the one which gives us the clue as to what is actually going on; and she elicits ample sympathy to make up for our reaction to her colder, supercilious husband. Norman Reedus, as the third in this unlikely menage, is required only to smoulder, threaten and be vulnerable on order. Wearing heavy eye makeup and a concealing fringe for much of the piece, as the beaten-up nameless drifter whom David and Alexis pick up from the roadside Reedus has little to say, and says that haltingly as if using words for interaction with other people were a novelty to him. (Just as well, for his own accent veers disconcertingly between Britspeak and USslang.) Of the three he is the cypher, the one whose motivations are least clear throughout the film. It's a difficult role to pull off, but he manages the part, if not as staggeringly as the other actors. And a damned good thing, since there is little else other than the acting to this film: only about seven speaking parts in total, and the action and movement you'd expect of a play, not a movie. I don't think DH is an adaptation from stage to film, but it has all the hallmarks thereof: long set pieces of dialogue between the principals, heavy use of interior sets (despite the ravishing Maine landscape in which it was shot), relatively little cross-cutting of scenes or change of camera angles, few closeups, few time jumps and a linear narrative. And there you stumble right into the main problem: the fact that director Adam Coleman Howard has generally failed to utilise the medium in any but the most cursory way. All this leads to a lack of pacing which, frankly, makes much of the film boring - hardly ideal for a thriller. He's also prone to inserting moments of false threat which fail to galvanise the watcher into any anxiety on the characters' behalves - to whit, the scene with the young drifter chasing our heroine across the bay with a rake brandished over his head, or the yatching expedition in deep fog. All these thriller tropes are old hat and totally thrown away here. He's not quite as inept at suspense as the director of 'Tomb Raider' was at action, but he's aiming for that crown. For other reviewers, it also seems that the denouement completely lacked credibility. Since I already had a fair inkling as to what it was, I was able to spot the few clues on my first go round; but even then, some of the plot elements do not bear investigation. One could view the course of events which unfolded as simply one possible outcome: opportunities seized by the protagonists as they came up, rather than plans made in detail. But I'm not surprised that most of the reviewers felt cheated by the 'solution' to the mystery. My sense of being cheated came on another level. If the director had chosen to make the motivations of the main characters more available to the audience - in essense, to make a different script of the same events - he could better have explored some of the more tantalising themes he touched on. These include the level of sympathy that we can extend to people doing unsympathetic, even evil, things; the demands of love and greed; and the way the needy collaborate in their own downfalls. But he chose to skirt around those issues to concentrate on a generic suspense motif which he was ill-fit to develop. From the film to the dvd. There was a lack of clarity in the picture and the sound which menus and trailers fail to make up for. I also understand that the use of pan'n'scan rather than letterbox format cuts out some of the framing that Howard emphasises in his director's commentary. Alas, there are no actor interviews to give us any idea of what Rickman, Walker et al saw in their roles - a shame, given that the only reason to watch the film is to enjoy the actors' grasp of their craft.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but Completely Predictable
Review: I did like this movie. However, I was not at all surprised by the ending. I believe there are far too many 'obvious' clues. For example: the visitor knew exactly how the husband took his coffee (handed him a sweetener packet in the kitchen), it was too apparent that the wife was penning her own suicide note, the sleight of hand tricks of the visitor, the husband's speech about choosing one above all others that was obviously not directed at his wife given their friction up to that point, the husband's illness (stomachache) when he has a slight misgiving/second thought leading up to his wife's murder, and the beginning of the set up when the husband insists his wife "Watch the road!" - obviously she is supposed to see something.
I like any movie with Polly Walker and/or Alan Rickman in it, and this is worth watching, but I felt as though it was directed at viewers not able to pick up on subtleties or clues at all in films. It is possible that I have watched too many Ms. Marple mysteries and read too many Nancy Drew books as a child, but I did not like that the ending was exactly what I thought it would be. I would have preferred to have less obvious clues and been surprised. I did like the island setting and mushrooom factor in this film, nice flavor. Recommended viewing, but I doubt many people will be shocked by the ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Very, Very Dark
Review: I rented this movie because Alan Rickman, one of my favorite actors was in it. Little did I know I would walk away with hundreds of questions!!! I must say that the first time I watched it, I had no idea what was going to happen at the end. I had to watch a second time to really understand what was going on and to see the hints that are given to us throughout the movie.
As always, Alan Rickman does an incredible job and really draws you in (especially if you love him like me!) to the movie. I could tell that he was trying to pull off an American accent, but at times you could tell that he just dropped it all together and went back to his British accent (which I absolutely love). I liked how he went back and forth.
Polly Walker was so-so as the wife. She was kind of boring, but that may also be how the character was supposed to be. Her reactions to some of the situations weren't as strong as I thought they could be, but overall she did okay.
Norman Reedus (sp?) did a very good job as playing a very mysterious man who David (Rickman) and Alexis (Walker) pick up on the side of the road. He was downright scary at times! The look on his face made me flinch!
The plot was very good and after a few viewings and I knew what was going on, I was still surprised by the ending!
I recommend this movie to ALL Alan Rickman fans--specifically adult fans...for this movie is certainly NOT suitable for children if you ask me.
Rating:
Summary: Subtlety Conquers All
Review: In an age when movies either feel the need to blow our minds to smithereens in order to guarantee "entertainment value", or bore us to tears in an attempt to achieve "artistic meaning", DARK HARBOR is a true revelation. Centering on the relationship between a wealthy married couple (brilliant Alan Rickman and gorgeous Polly Walker) and a bloody young stranger (ghostly Norman Reedus) who shows up on their private island off the coast of Maine, DARK HARBOR avoids the simplistic narratives and A-list fraudulence of studio con jobs like ROAD TO PERDITION, POSSESSION or INSOMNIA. Whereas these films are about as daring as Mother Teresa taking a sip of beer, DARK HARBOR expertly lures us into a mysterious world full of lust, intrigue and deception, while maintaining an emotional subtlety that is not only rare, but practically extinct, in today's cinematic climate. The fact that this underappreciated masterpiece was deprived of a proper theatrical release should make the entire movie industry bow its (brainless) head in shame -- not because DARK HARBOR is a work of art (which it is), but because it would have fed a massive audience starving for erotically intelligent filmmaking and made a fortune. Thank God for this nicely assembled and vividly beautiful DVD!
Rating:
Summary: A poisonous little tale
Review: It becomes clear fairly early on that one of the main themes of "Dark Harbor" is poison - that which has seeped into the Weinbergs' marriage as well as that which lurks within the mushrooms that Polly Walker's character identifies in the woods. Writer/director Adam Coleman Howard wove that idea into an unconventional drama/thriller carried almost entirely by four characters: an heiress, her older husband, a young drifter, and the haunting Maine landscape. I must say that this film disappointed me. It held my attention, but in general felt acted, like a scripted play rather than a glimpse into the actual lives of real people. And while normally I adore Alan Rickman's rich, mellifluous voice, his delivery here was often stilted and mechanical, perhaps because he was concentrating so hard on trying to maintain his dreadful American accent with its grating overemphasized r's. The ending was not the surprise to me that other reviewers described, although no doubt partly because I knew there was a twist and so watched the whole thing with an eye towards alternative interpretations of what was shown. I suppose that now that my guess has been confirmed that I should go back to see which clues I missed, but it just doesn't seem worth it.
Rating:
Summary: One of Alan Rickman's best
Review: More than many films, Dark Harbor bears repeated viewing -- it's after you know the ending that you can more fully appreciate the brilliance of Alan Rickman's multilayered performance, the apotheosis of his trademark blend of camp and subtlety. There's much else to recommend this intelligent and well-made film, of course, including very strong performances from the other two principal actors. Allegiances shift, clues to an unconventional mystery are scattered about like chips in a high-stakes poker game, and it is only in the final scenes that we see the cards the players are holding, and the chips stacked neatly on the table. The DVD edition includes a director's commentary that enhances the film's nuances.
Rating:
Summary: Memory of Watching It is Better Than the Act
Review: Ponderous, slow and atmospheric, this minor 'thriller' has three great performances by its leads, lush photography, and a script in need of some juice and shocks here and there. Nevermind that it's all very well-observed and craftily positioned between-the-lines, and I will not spoil the ending, but the payoff comes wa-a-a-a-y too late, and after two hours of beating around the bush seems much ado about nothing. Well, not nothing, ok, but "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" it ain't. In any event, the film is exceedingly well-crafted. Alan Rickman is a sorely underrated actor (See "ClosetLand" from 1992), and one wonders why Polly Walker has not achieved more fame, as she is both sexy and quite a thespian. The Maine coast gets star billing as it did in the recent "In the Bedroom". Must be a good place to avoid crew unions.
Rating:
Summary: Power of Subtle Suggestion
Review: Stormy weather, mist and fog are ideal backdrops to the subtlestories so intricately interwoven in the adult drama, Dark Harbor.David and Alexis Weinberg, a wealthy couple from Boston, are hurrying to catch a ferry to their private island when they find a beaten young man on the side of the road. At the insistance of his wife, Weinberg agrees to help the man, beginning what would become a chain of passion, betrayal and murder that will keep you guessing from beginning to end! "Dark Harbor" is filled with twists and subplots reminiscent of Hitchcock; the darkness of hidden truths and realities behind the veil of the Weinberg's marriage, will leave you breathless. The plot has a powerful premise, but grows thin at times and I wondered just what was left on the cutting room floor that would have strengthened it ; perhaps more information about David and the boy would have satisifed me. Powerful performances by three exciting actors made up for some of those weakness. Alan Rickman exposes a range of powerful emotions that will delight fans who wished to see him break out of sugary or manic roles. His after dinner speech with the boy is mesmerizingly tender, and deservedly earns him the title, "The Voice", while Norman Reedus is a force to be reckoned with, clearly focused on getting what he wants in the end. Polly Walker is strangely touching as the wife without a clue of the poison brewing within herself, her husband, and the man they're both attracted and repelled by. The final ten minutes of the movie is both powerful and, to some, disturbing. But if you watch "Dark Harbor" with an open mind, you, too, will have to wonder what you would or wouldn't do for love. END
Rating:
Summary: Review of Dark Harbor
Review: Studio: Artisan Entertainment
Director: Adam Coleman Howard
Release Date: 1998
Run Time: 89 minutes in color
Norman Reedus: Main character (young man)
Alan Rickman: David Weinberg
Polly Walker: Alexis Chandler Weinberg The setting of this movie is the early 1980's New England. It is a psychological novel about a married couple that goes to their "vacation" home in order to get away for a few days while celebrating their anniversary. Before catching their ferry, they pull over to help a man lying on the side of the road, who refuses them to call the police for help. This man ends up on the same ferry and eventually meets up with the couple again, when they find themselves lost and on an unknown island with the young man. After he helps save David, the young man is invited to stay at the house with the married couple. During this time, the young man establishes a relationship with Alexis. The rest of the movie should be viewed. The protagonist in this movie appears to be the young man. The antagonist appears to be David. The conflict in the movie is between David and the young man. David appears to be jealous of the fact that his wife is so loyal to the young man and is upset that the young man has continued to "hang around." This movie was given four stars because it was intriguing and kept the viewer's attention throughout the whole movie. It reminds one of The Sixth Sense in that viewers did not realize what was happening throughout the movie until the end, making it more likely to be viewed a second time.
Rating:
Summary: Open your eyes....And you'll still miss something.
Review: Subtle hints ahoy! I don't recommend this movie AT ALL to anyone who hates suspense, things left unexplained and an astounding amount of symbolism. Because that's what this movie is, hints, lies, betrayal, intriguing, 'controversial', yet strangely beautiful at the same time. The trailer to this movie is annoyingly misleading, but this movie is hard to explain well without giving too much. Remember -everything- means something. (Put the audio commentary on, you might even have to, to understand some parts.) Right down to the colors of the clothing, placement of objects and the tiniest of movements. There's less than six speaking roles and besides the three main characters they're meaningless. David (Alan Rickman), Alexis (Polly Walker) are a not yet middle aged married couple, yet are so obviously tired and annoyed with each other it nearly makes the viewer wish they would just admit it. But that's part of the beauty, the dialogue is near perfect to express this. They vacation to their (Rather, Alexis' dead grandfathers home on a private island.) to rekindle dead flames in a sense. (Even -that- is symbolized, find it. ;)) On the way to catch the ferry, they find a Young Man (Norman Reedus) and by a series of small 'coincidental' events, ends up at their home. And while being a wedge between them, no one seems to want him to leave. Utterly everything falls apart and it makes the viewer wonder who is control of what--the feeling of control and who is betraying/hurting/lying to/being shady to whom and why. There's questions that will make you look back on and rethink and very wrong assumptions. 'Hey...why did he beep the horn?', 'Why is she wearing that?', 'Did he do that on purpose?', 'She's just as bad! But...', 'Oh...I understand now.', 'That's kind of...beautiful...well, no..'. And so on and so on. Mixed sexual feelings and attraction, the desire of the couple to -feel- again, a twisted admission of love, cruel words and very educated yet dark minds using knowledge to everyone's own advantage. The scenery was lovely and it did distract you at some points and very solidly put together acting. The three characters had to carry the movie and did so well. So keep your minds way, way open, along with your eyes, shut up, sit back and watch. If it doesn't leave you going "Huh...what? Wait, did he..? Why did she? They what, why? Wait; hold on there..." Then you're not watching it right. A really must see for yourself type of movie for adults.
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