The Deep End
3.5/4
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Jonathan Tucker, Raymond J. Barrie, Josh Lucas
Rated R for Some Violence and Language, and for a Strong Sex Scene
How far would you go to protect someone you love?
The immediate response would be "to the ends of the Earth." Or something like that. But how far would you really go? And are you willing to pay the price?
That's the question Margaret Hall (Swinton) is forced to ask herself. You see, her gay son Beau (Tucker) was in a car accident with a sleazebag named Darby Reese (Lucas). She pays him a considerable sum to stay away from Beau, but that doesn't keep him away. He and Beau fight and Darby ends up dead. Margaret finds his body the next day, and makes a spur of the moment decision to cover it up. She thinks that the whole sordid event is over and done with, until a man named Alek Spera (Visnjic) shows up with some damning evidence. He tells her that unless she gives him $50,000 by tomorrow, he'll turn the tape over to the police. Since her husband is away at sea, it's up to her to do the impossible. But there's something that we (the audience) know that she doesn't.
"The Deep End," loosely based on the novel "The Blank Wall" by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding, is an understated thriller. This is not a movie with shootouts, car chases and explosions. But that doesn't make it any less suspenseful. The smart script, strong performances and sure-handed direction make sure of that.
Is there anything that Tilda Swinton won't do? More to the point, is there anything she can't do? From playing the psychologically scarred mother of a school shooter ("We Need to Talk About Kevin") to displaying her post-birth body in the nude ("The War Zone"), Swinton is as daring as she is talented. There's nothing remotely that controversial in "The Deep End," but she's just as good here as she is, well, anywhere else. The strength of her performance comes from her refusal to go over-the-top. She plays Margaret as a normal woman. She's stressed, trying to keep a household with three kids and her father-in-law running, and keep her family hidden from the mysterious man lurking about. But she's smart, and deals with the situation the best she can.
Her co-star, Croatian actor Goran Visnjic, is just as good. He is a scary individual, but he does things that Margaret doesn't anticipate. Without going into spoilers, I'll say that it's a tricky role, and that Visnjic pulls it off effortlessly. Visnjic, who became famous for playing Dr. Luka Kovac on TV's "ER," is a fine actor, but is in too few movies these days. This is a perfect example of what he can do with a good script.
The supporting cast is very good as well. Jonathan Tucker is in fine form as a uncommunicative teenager who is coping with his sexuality. But like his mother, he's also smart, and it doesn't take him long to figure out that something is going on with her. Josh Lucas is one of those actors who can creep you out simply by walking on screen, and that's what he does here. "Snake" is an apt descriptor. Sadly, veteran meanie Raymond J. Barry is given the short end of the stick. His performance is fine, but his character is not well written. Fortunately, he's only on screen for a few scenes.
The direction by Scott McGhee and David Siegel is top notch. They get the essentials right (pacing, intelligence, good acting and writing, and so on). But they also get the details right. They get the atmosphere of upper middle class Lake Tahoe exactly right (I have family who once had a house there, so I speak from experience), the realities of suburban life, and so on. Little details, like how Margaret has to use a taxi to get to Alek further enhance her isolation. And whenever they pause to show how she's coping with keeping her family together while dealing with extortion, they always use it to enhance her feelings. This is a great story already, and it's well told, but little moments like this enhance it.
Sadly, the end of the film is routine. No, I won't go into any spoilers, but I will say that something this smart doesn't need to resort to the clichés that make up the climax. That it's well done softens the blow, but the fact is that it shouldn't have been done at all. The characters are so intelligent and realistic that something more clever and honest would have been warranted. I also think the ending isn't earned. More than that I will not say. The key scene of the first act isn't capitalized very well either, but that's more of a nitpick, and upon reflection I have no complaints that the directors put it in there.
The ending aside, this is a movie that will grab your attention and keep it for the film's entirety. There aren't many good thrillers about smart people in plausible situations. So if that's your cup of tea, I strongly suggest you check this one out. You'll be glad you did.
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Jonathan Tucker, Raymond J. Barrie, Josh Lucas
Rated R for Some Violence and Language, and for a Strong Sex Scene
How far would you go to protect someone you love?
The immediate response would be "to the ends of the Earth." Or something like that. But how far would you really go? And are you willing to pay the price?
That's the question Margaret Hall (Swinton) is forced to ask herself. You see, her gay son Beau (Tucker) was in a car accident with a sleazebag named Darby Reese (Lucas). She pays him a considerable sum to stay away from Beau, but that doesn't keep him away. He and Beau fight and Darby ends up dead. Margaret finds his body the next day, and makes a spur of the moment decision to cover it up. She thinks that the whole sordid event is over and done with, until a man named Alek Spera (Visnjic) shows up with some damning evidence. He tells her that unless she gives him $50,000 by tomorrow, he'll turn the tape over to the police. Since her husband is away at sea, it's up to her to do the impossible. But there's something that we (the audience) know that she doesn't.
"The Deep End," loosely based on the novel "The Blank Wall" by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding, is an understated thriller. This is not a movie with shootouts, car chases and explosions. But that doesn't make it any less suspenseful. The smart script, strong performances and sure-handed direction make sure of that.
Is there anything that Tilda Swinton won't do? More to the point, is there anything she can't do? From playing the psychologically scarred mother of a school shooter ("We Need to Talk About Kevin") to displaying her post-birth body in the nude ("The War Zone"), Swinton is as daring as she is talented. There's nothing remotely that controversial in "The Deep End," but she's just as good here as she is, well, anywhere else. The strength of her performance comes from her refusal to go over-the-top. She plays Margaret as a normal woman. She's stressed, trying to keep a household with three kids and her father-in-law running, and keep her family hidden from the mysterious man lurking about. But she's smart, and deals with the situation the best she can.
Her co-star, Croatian actor Goran Visnjic, is just as good. He is a scary individual, but he does things that Margaret doesn't anticipate. Without going into spoilers, I'll say that it's a tricky role, and that Visnjic pulls it off effortlessly. Visnjic, who became famous for playing Dr. Luka Kovac on TV's "ER," is a fine actor, but is in too few movies these days. This is a perfect example of what he can do with a good script.
The supporting cast is very good as well. Jonathan Tucker is in fine form as a uncommunicative teenager who is coping with his sexuality. But like his mother, he's also smart, and it doesn't take him long to figure out that something is going on with her. Josh Lucas is one of those actors who can creep you out simply by walking on screen, and that's what he does here. "Snake" is an apt descriptor. Sadly, veteran meanie Raymond J. Barry is given the short end of the stick. His performance is fine, but his character is not well written. Fortunately, he's only on screen for a few scenes.
The direction by Scott McGhee and David Siegel is top notch. They get the essentials right (pacing, intelligence, good acting and writing, and so on). But they also get the details right. They get the atmosphere of upper middle class Lake Tahoe exactly right (I have family who once had a house there, so I speak from experience), the realities of suburban life, and so on. Little details, like how Margaret has to use a taxi to get to Alek further enhance her isolation. And whenever they pause to show how she's coping with keeping her family together while dealing with extortion, they always use it to enhance her feelings. This is a great story already, and it's well told, but little moments like this enhance it.
Sadly, the end of the film is routine. No, I won't go into any spoilers, but I will say that something this smart doesn't need to resort to the clichés that make up the climax. That it's well done softens the blow, but the fact is that it shouldn't have been done at all. The characters are so intelligent and realistic that something more clever and honest would have been warranted. I also think the ending isn't earned. More than that I will not say. The key scene of the first act isn't capitalized very well either, but that's more of a nitpick, and upon reflection I have no complaints that the directors put it in there.
The ending aside, this is a movie that will grab your attention and keep it for the film's entirety. There aren't many good thrillers about smart people in plausible situations. So if that's your cup of tea, I strongly suggest you check this one out. You'll be glad you did.
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