Rating: 
Summary: Bigelow: Artistic, Literary & Haunting
Review: "The Weight of Water" is the most artistic and literary of Bigelow's film, the furthest from the action-adventure genre. Although it has thrilling moments of disaster at sea, it is primarily a character study. There are 4 people aboard a yacht, the most pivotal being Sean Penn, playing a writer whose writing days are mainly in the past because they were all based on an early tragedy involving the loss of the love of his life. He's married to someone else now but has serious relationship problems which are exacerbated by having another woman on board who has captured his sexual interest (Elizabeth Hurley). Where this film really gets interesting though is unveiling a whole other story of a woman who used to live on an island in these waters over a century ago who may, or may not, have murdered two other women. Sarah Polley does a wonderful job playing her. The underwater sequences during the storm at sea involving this woman's ghost and our present day people are the most artistic and stunning of Bigelow's career. I saw this as a rental and immediately wished I had bought it instead. This is Bigelow at her best as a filmmaker, artist and storyteller all rolled into one (based on the source Anita Shreve novel). Writer-director Kathryn Bigelow was a very talented painter before she went to film school to become a movie director. It shows in her work which is very artistic for someone primarily known to the action-adventure genre of filmmaking. She is a breath of fresh air in this genre, investing it with literate scripts and haunting imagery. Her most frequent producer is James Cameron (the action wonder king, "Titanic," "Terminator"), who is also her ex-husband. You can see his influence on her work as well.
Rating:
Summary: Bigelow: Artistic, Literary & Haunting
Review: "The Weight of Water" is the most artistic and literary of Bigelow's film, the furthest from the action-adventure genre. Although it has thrilling moments of disaster at sea, it is primarily a character study. There are 4 people aboard a yacht, the most pivotal being Sean Penn, playing a writer whose writing days are mainly in the past because they were all based on an early tragedy involving the loss of the love of his life. He's married to someone else now but has serious relationship problems which are exacerbated by having another woman on board who has captured his sexual interest (Elizabeth Hurley). Where this film really gets interesting though is unveiling a whole other story of a woman who used to live on an island in these waters over a century ago who may, or may not, have murdered two other women. Sarah Polley does a wonderful job playing her. The underwater sequences during the storm at sea involving this woman's ghost and our present day people are the most artistic and stunning of Bigelow's career. I saw this as a rental and immediately wished I had bought it instead. This is Bigelow at her best as a filmmaker, artist and storyteller all rolled into one (based on the source Anita Shreve novel). Writer-director Kathryn Bigelow was a very talented painter before she went to film school to become a movie director. It shows in her work which is very artistic for someone primarily known to the action-adventure genre of filmmaking. She is a breath of fresh air in this genre, investing it with literate scripts and haunting imagery. Her most frequent producer is James Cameron (the action wonder king, "Titanic," "Terminator"), who is also her ex-husband. You can see his influence on her work as well.
Rating: 
Summary: A Phychological Drama that Is Inspired by Actual Murder
Review: (Let me say first that my rating is actually about 2.5, but I could not do that, so made it 3.) I had a chance to watch this film based on a novel by Anita Shreve (which I haven't read), and was interested in the names of the cast including Sean Penn, and the director Kathryn Bigelow. I am sorry to say that the entire film, though it has some intriguing premise and fantastic photography, somehow fell short of my expectation. But I don't know how you will receive this film, so I concentrate on writing factual aspects of this one. Let me hear your own opinions from you on Amazon later.
Some sources call "The Weight of Water" a thriller, but that is misleading. It is more like a drama with some psycological depth. "The Weight of Water" has two plots side by side, one set in today, the other in the past. The film follows both the mystery of the horrible ax murder in the past, and hidden envy or hatred between the apparently friendly travellers today, with each story interwoven together. The film (or the book, I should say) is based on an actual double murder case that happened on the Isles of Shoals, off the coast of New Hampshire, in 1873. The introductory part of the film reveals us that a couple of female immigrants from Norway were killed, and a man called Lewis is arrested. But as the sole survivor and witness Maren (Sarah Polley, most unlucky girl in "GO") recounts her story to us, complicated things leading up to the fatal night slowly reveals unexpected side to us. Meanwhile, the other story concerns the four members on board, crusing in a yacht off the coast of the Isles: photographer Jean (underrated Catherine McCormack, in "Braveheart" and "Spy Game"), her husband and celebrated poet Thomas (Sean Penn), his brother Rick (Josh Lucas), and Rick's new girlfriend Adeline (Elizabeth Hurley). Jean is assigned to take photos about the murder case in 1873, and she is gradully obcessed with investigating the truth behind the case. But as she gets closer to the facts, the relations between the four members on board stars to falter, opening both the channel for the undercurrent enmity, and the wounds that should have been healed long ago. The double plot concept sounds good, but does not seem to be working well. It depends on your view, but I thought these too many details thrown in the film look so disjointed that the film fails to keep them tight, making the whole work look very confusing. The murder story is developed, generating our interest adequet for watching, thanks to Sarah Polley's convincing acting, but her character, with all credible complexity, suffers from so many flashbacks and story-within-story structure. It is a shame because she is really good, as is McCormack, whose character Jean, with her unconsciously sneaking loneliness, is phychologically (or supernaturally) connected with tormented Maren's life (so it is implied). With more stress on the aspect of the relation between them, the film could be more accessible and involving. Overall, acting is good, but, you know, when did Sean Penn provide us with bad acting? Director Bigelow's trademake photography, making full use of light and darkness, is here again, and her cutting-edge cinematography that raised her past works one notch higher can be seen this time. However, I must say that her known weakness in handling the story also damages the film, as in the past. The last sequence about the storm coming to the yacht off the Isles (this "Perfect Storm"-like climax set in today corresponds with the re-enactment of deadly night 130 years ago) looks very contrived, inspite of the tactful editing. Now, I said what I wanted to say. I also point out that this was produced by Studio Canal (France), and made before the Harrison Ford film "K-19" directed by Bigelow. I give three stars, but I must confess that I was disappointed after seeing this twice.
Rating: 
Summary: half a good film
Review: **1/2 In its basic structure and format, "The Weight of Water" is very similar to the far more impressive film "Possession" from 2002. In both movies, we get two different stories running simultaneously: one, a mystery set in the past, and, the other, a personal drama located in the present, involving a group of characters reflecting on and trying to make sense of the events that took place a century or so earlier. The story-within-a-story in "The Weight of Water" is a true-life account of a brutal double murder that took place on a remote island off the coast of New Hampshire in the 1870's. Two out of the three women who were on the island that fateful night fell victim to the murderer, with the third escaping and fingering a man - a former boarder - as the culprit. The man was convicted and hanged for the offense, yet, more than a century later, a shadow of doubt hangs over the verdict. One of the modern-day doubters is Jean Janes, a photographer who ventures to the island to do a shoot of the location, only to find herself strangely obsessed with uncovering the truth about the case. Accompanying her on her quest are her husband, Thomas, a celebrated poet; Rich, his handsome brother whose boat they use to get to the island; and Adaline, the latter's gorgeous girlfriend who also happens to be a devotee of Thomas' literary work and a bit of a "groupie," as it turns out, in both tone and temperament, attaching herself rather obviously to the talented young bard, despite the fact that his observant wife is on the boat with them. As in "Possession," the filmmakers in this film - screenwriters Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle and director Kate Bigelow - shift constantly between the past and the present, allowing us to piece together the clues as to what really happened on that island over 130 years ago, and, at the same time, to examine the strained relationships among those contemporary figures looking for the answers. The problem with "The Weight of Water" - as it is in many films with this dual-narrative structure - is that one story almost inevitably ends up dominating over the other. Certainly, both tales seem to want to make the same unified point: that love and passion are often such overwhelming forces in our lives that they can end up destroying us in the process. How often do luck, fate, personal demons or societal pressure force us to compromise those elemental passions raging within our hearts, leading us, ultimately, to all the wrong choices and wrong partners that we end up having to live with for the rest of our lives? This is certainly the case in the part of the story set in the past where loneliness, regret, even incest and lesbianism play a crucial part in what happens to the characters. We can understand what motivates these individuals to do what they do, since their hungers, needs and intentions are cleanly laid out and clearly defined. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for the outer story set in the present. These characters lack the necessary delineation to make us truly understand where they are coming from or to make us care where they are going. Catherine McCormack does a superb job as Jean, capturing the fears, jealousies and anxieties of this insecure modern woman, but the screenplay doesn't let us into her mind enough to show us what is really going on beneath the surface. We know that she is unhappy in her marriage, but we never really get to know why. The situation is not helped one bit by Sean Pean who barely registers an emotion in the crucial role of Jean's husband. Apart from the fact that he seems to be brooding all the time, we never get the sense that Thomas could really be the world-class poet we are told he is. As Adaline, Josh's tawny-haired girlfriend, Hurley looks great in her bikini, of course, but the character is little more than the stereotypical temptress placed there by the writers to serve as a source of strain and tension on the marriage. The movie also builds to a mini- "Perfect Storm"-type climax that seems forced, phony, arbitrary and all too convenient and, worst of all, fails to make the connection between the two narratives clear and comprehensible. The final scenes seem strained at best, as the authors attempt to bring all the disparate elements together - but to no real avail. The fact is that the filmmakers never make their case as to why we should find any kind of meaningful parallels between the characters and events in the two stories. The characters in the past are obviously hemmed in by the repressive society in which they live so we give them a little leeway and offer them our sympathy; the characters in the present, with so many more options open to them, just come across as whiney and self-pitying and we find ourselves growing more and more impatient with them (all except Jean, that is) as the story rolls along. "The Weight of Water" wants to be an important and meaningful film, but only one half of its story truly earns those adjectives.
Rating:
Summary: half a good film
Review: **1/2 In its basic structure and format, "The Weight of Water" is very similar to the far more impressive film "Possession" from 2002. In both movies, we get two different stories running simultaneously: one, a mystery set in the past, and, the other, a personal drama located in the present, involving a group of characters reflecting on and trying to make sense of the events that took place a century or so earlier. The story-within-a-story in "The Weight of Water" is a true-life account of a brutal double murder that took place on a remote island off the coast of New Hampshire in the 1870's. Two out of the three women who were on the island that fateful night fell victim to the murderer, with the third escaping and fingering a man - a former boarder - as the culprit. The man was convicted and hanged for the offense, yet, more than a century later, a shadow of doubt hangs over the verdict. One of the modern-day doubters is Jean Janes, a photographer who ventures to the island to do a shoot of the location, only to find herself strangely obsessed with uncovering the truth about the case. Accompanying her on her quest are her husband, Thomas, a celebrated poet; Rich, his handsome brother whose boat they use to get to the island; and Adaline, the latter's gorgeous girlfriend who also happens to be a devotee of Thomas' literary work and a bit of a "groupie," as it turns out, in both tone and temperament, attaching herself rather obviously to the talented young bard, despite the fact that his observant wife is on the boat with them. As in "Possession," the filmmakers in this film - screenwriters Alice Arlen and Christopher Kyle and director Kate Bigelow - shift constantly between the past and the present, allowing us to piece together the clues as to what really happened on that island over 130 years ago, and, at the same time, to examine the strained relationships among those contemporary figures looking for the answers. The problem with "The Weight of Water" - as it is in many films with this dual-narrative structure - is that one story almost inevitably ends up dominating over the other. Certainly, both tales seem to want to make the same unified point: that love and passion are often such overwhelming forces in our lives that they can end up destroying us in the process. How often do luck, fate, personal demons or societal pressure force us to compromise those elemental passions raging within our hearts, leading us, ultimately, to all the wrong choices and wrong partners that we end up having to live with for the rest of our lives? This is certainly the case in the part of the story set in the past where loneliness, regret, even incest and lesbianism play a crucial part in what happens to the characters. We can understand what motivates these individuals to do what they do, since their hungers, needs and intentions are cleanly laid out and clearly defined. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for the outer story set in the present. These characters lack the necessary delineation to make us truly understand where they are coming from or to make us care where they are going. Catherine McCormack does a superb job as Jean, capturing the fears, jealousies and anxieties of this insecure modern woman, but the screenplay doesn't let us into her mind enough to show us what is really going on beneath the surface. We know that she is unhappy in her marriage, but we never really get to know why. The situation is not helped one bit by Sean Pean who barely registers an emotion in the crucial role of Jean's husband. Apart from the fact that he seems to be brooding all the time, we never get the sense that Thomas could really be the world-class poet we are told he is. As Adaline, Josh's tawny-haired girlfriend, Hurley looks great in her bikini, of course, but the character is little more than the stereotypical temptress placed there by the writers to serve as a source of strain and tension on the marriage. The movie also builds to a mini- "Perfect Storm"-type climax that seems forced, phony, arbitrary and all too convenient and, worst of all, fails to make the connection between the two narratives clear and comprehensible. The final scenes seem strained at best, as the authors attempt to bring all the disparate elements together - but to no real avail. The fact is that the filmmakers never make their case as to why we should find any kind of meaningful parallels between the characters and events in the two stories. The characters in the past are obviously hemmed in by the repressive society in which they live so we give them a little leeway and offer them our sympathy; the characters in the present, with so many more options open to them, just come across as whiney and self-pitying and we find ourselves growing more and more impatient with them (all except Jean, that is) as the story rolls along. "The Weight of Water" wants to be an important and meaningful film, but only one half of its story truly earns those adjectives.
Rating: 
Summary: Absorbing drama
Review: A complex drama in two movements: this was a worth adaptation of Anita Shreve bestseller artistically directed for Kathryn Bigelow whose style camera work reminds us to the Chabrol of the seventies , (The butcher)and Antonioni (L eclisse) .
The story is told in parallel times , when two modern couples decide to go to New Hampshire and visit the stage where two brutal murderers were commited 125 years ago , in which an innocent man is declared guilty and punished with death .
The slow rhtym is revealed with nuance and psichological mood , the defiant glances , the sensuality and the lack of inspiration of William Burroughs (Sean Penn) . Precisely in contrast with absence of creative fire , his husband seeks the clues far beyond the official story .
She will be rebuilding this macabre and mysterious puzzle , involved in a complex web of silents , incest and madness .
In both narrative lines the tension grows , and these stories admirably never intersect but they are edited perfectly with extraordinary and dramatic links .
All the characters have something to hide , the loneliness and hopeless are just behind the door , the poetry spills through the plot ; and the beating mistery slowly appears in front of the viewer with its merciless crudeness .
Sarah Polley stole the show with her complex acting . She is an overwhelming young actress and is a hopeful promise in this craft , together with Naomi Watts .
Certainly there is an undeniable european influence in its descriptive and paced flow . The corporal and visual languages are fundamental in this superb work .
Watch that film . Bigelow reveals as a great promise director with this work.
Rating:
Summary: Penn is always brilliant, plus there's a bonus
Review: Hey, the best reason to watch this movie is the ice cube scene with Elizabeth Hurley, this and this alone make this worth owning. That's all that needs to be said. Get some tissues ready.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Film, Achingly Lacking
Review: I enjoyed the film for any number of reasons: Liz Hurley is beautiful, Sean Penn and Sarah Polley are fun to watch, the scenery is keen, the sense of place is strong. And Liz Hurley is beautiful. Have I mentioned that? Anyway, this film has several good things going for it, and I would recommend it based on these things. The flaws of the film pertain to it's rigid desire to maintain a parallel structure in it's two separate (yet connected) stories. The one story feels very original and fresh (though come to find out it is roughly based on a tragedy some 100 years before). But the other feels forced into an attachment with the primary narrative. Evidence --and reason-- as to why these separate stories deserve to be entwined appears lacking. Separately the narratives are strong, it's just the mating of them that creates rough edges. Thank you. R.P. Petalver
Rating:
Summary: Be patient...
Review: I have never read the book.. So this is just based on what i saw of the film...
It was a great movie.. A bit sluggish but worth it towards the last half hour.. Very well acted and played out. Beautifully filmed. Definetly check this out.. If you have no patience and hate waiting for something to happen, then this MIGHT not be for you.. But if you want to see a good movie don't pass this one by..
Rating:
Summary: Adequately Captures the Atmosphere of the Novel
Review: If I hadn't already read the novel by Anita Shreve upon which this film is based, I think I would have found the switching back and forth from the turn of the century to the present offsetting. As I anticipated the older story and the parallel emotions its discovery brings to the surface in the modern story, I found Bigelow's technique sufficiently expert to convey the story's message and tone.
As in the book, Jean, a photojournalist is married to Thomas an award winning poet. Jean has been assigned the task of photographing the environs of the isolated islands off the coast of Maine and New Hamphire, where two horrific murders occurred over a century before. As she, Thomas, her brother-in-law and her brother-in-law's too attractive girlfriend, Adaline, sail along the treacherous coastline, the audience infers by the foursome's moody dialogue and the flirtatious yet melancholy interplay between Thomas and Adaline---punctuated with plenty of ice clinking in drinks--- that Jean and Thomas's marriage is lacking in some arena that is never quite explored.
The absence in the film of Thomas and Jean's daughter, Billie removes a dimension to the plot which would have added irony to the overall outcome---although the movie works well enough without Billie's presence.
Jean, intent on the task of photographing the island locale where the murders occurred, becomes obsessed when she discovers a diary written by the murders only witness---a young Norwegian immigrant named Marin. As Jean reads the document, and it plays out for us in multiple visits to the past, we sense a similiarity between the yearning of both characters, past and present. The movie ends with the same cataclysmic happening that occurs in the book with one very relevant difference and twist of tragedy.
I didn't like Sean Penn as Thomas; I envisioned Thomas as a more economic human being who uses poetry to express what he ordinarily could never convey without breaking. Sean is too large a persona to get across that still-waters-run-deep quality I believe Thomas possessed in the novel. McCormack portrays an edgier Jean---more frazzled with a cigarette smoking intensity that was unfortunately not softened by the presence of the child. Hurley too overtly flirtatious---Adaline of the novel was less conscious of her beauty and its ability to seduce--it was more second nature rather than worked. Sarah Polley undoubtably gets my vote for best player---she emotes without speech--her loneliness is as evident as the lone house against the backdrop of the crashing waves---far from civilization and any real human warmth.
Watching this film will certainly provoke some conversational aftermath---and for this I recommend it--even if the conversation that ensues only compares the film with the book.
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