Waterland

[lilly]

It's been a 1940's Haircut Weekend, since I've been watching this film and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. (Regarding the latter, I am loath to confess that with me there's always a bottom line--uhm, so to speak--because as the movie ended, I found myself thinking, "Aw, he didn't take his clothes off in this one...")

But with regard to Waterland specifically...wow. Sad as it was, I really liked how well it pointed out the fact that when you try to deny or bury the past, it will rise up and devour you.

And much like I said about Mr. Morrissey's performance in Our Mutual Friend, the word, "heartbreaking" is the only one that truly fits. The second time I watched the scene in which Dick is getting ready to go out and smiles at himself in the mirror, it actually brought tears to my eyes.

[mshw1]

I have to see this.

[lilly]

It's well worth a look--it was definitely my favourite out of the three movies I watched the weekend before last (though considering the other two were Captain Corelli's Mandolin and The Reaping, I'm not sure if I've just damned it with rather faint praise there).

While I've never liked Ethan Hawke, and Waterland did nothing to change my opinion there, it also made me think of how much flak Jeremy Irons has gotten for his over-the-top performances on occasion, and how much such denigration is undeserved, at least when it comes to this movie--just a really great, multi-layered and subtly nuanced portrayal from him there, and as someone at IMDb pointed out, Grant Warnock really does look like a younger version of him, too.

Still, be warned: if Mr. Morrissey hasn't broken your heart in any of his previous filmic roles, he definitely will do so in this one...though if you need a good cry for some reason, I can give this movie my wholehearted recommendation for such purposes.

[victoriao]

I watched this movie for the first time this evening, by way of switching off at the end of a heavy week. I really enjoyed it; or at least, I'm not sure that's quite the right word as it was a fairly harrowing watch, but an absorbing and moving one with it. I thought the performances were excellent, and I liked the way that the landscape of the fens was so central both to the atmosphere of the film and to shaping the story.

... it also made me think of how much flak Jeremy Irons has gotten for his over-the-top performances on occasion, and how much such denigration is undeserved, at least when it comes to this movie--just a really great, multi-layered and subtly nuanced portrayal from him there

I agree - he was outstanding in this.

Still, be warned: if Mr. Morrissey hasn't broken your heart in any of his previous filmic roles, he definitely will do so in this one

Yup. Though Bradley Headstone got there first