Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-16 03:03:09

What's that persistent clunking noise? Oh: it's the screenplay...

(I don't think I've given a 1-star review in perhaps ten years.)I so desperately wanted to see this movie. I spent the happiest years of my life running a research fishing boat up and down the Hudson River, and I was really looking forward to seeing those old hunting grounds again.There were even enticing early shots of the landscape I loved: a mile-long train chugging its way along the base of the Palisades; a Moran tug with a bone in its teeth... I turned it off twenty five minutes in, with a sad sigh, but then I turned it back on, to write this review, so you OWE ME, big-time.There are three main characters, and perhaps one of them makes sense, but I doubt it. And then later there's the horror of Mary Tyler Moore showing up, a stunningly-good actress (see Ordinary People) who hopefully made her casting decision because she needed a new refrigerator that day.And then Michelle Trachtenberg shows up, quickly getting the confused hero on his own and frantically instructing him to taste her, no doubt as an appetizer.Two more things. The swimming is utterly fake: for camera recognition, Fiennes swims with his entire upper torso out of the water at all times, which is only possible in movieland.And why is the film called "Against the Current"? He swims the entire movie WITH the current.You can tell I'm just reacting, not actually describing the movie, but if you want to watch it, please do so, then come back here and leave a comment telling me my assessment is wrong, OK?

mellowinman 2012-05-15 10:48:14

Great Movie

Very moving. Everything about this movie worked for me. Top-notchacting. Great dialogue. Fantastic cinematography. I don't get all thewannabe critics, ready to call out directors, using terms like "heavyhanded," "pretentious," etc. This was a compelling story, and anydepartures from the main story were there to add humanity. Everyoneinvolved should be very proud. They made a movie that was different,and worth our time. (mine, anyway) The ending left no doubt in my mindwhat happened. I didn't find any ambiguity whatsoever. I felt it wasmoving, and insightful. I think people need to open up to those filmsthat are a little different. This is one such film.