The Deep End (2001)

The Deep End is directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, both of whom also adapting the screenplay from the novel The Blank Wall written by Elizabeth Sanxay Holding. It stars Tilda Swinton, Goran Visnjic, Jonathan Tucker, Raymond Barry and Josh Lucas. Music is by Peter Nashel and cinematography by Giles Nuttgens.An updated take on Holding's source novel (it had been adapted by Max Ophüls as The Reckless Moment in 1949), The Deep End explores how one reckless decision in life can let the equilibrium of normalcy be invaded by dark forces and deep seated desires. Here we have the magnificent Swinton as Margaret Hall, a mother of three who finds her life spiralling out of control when she tries to keep her eldest son from being found culpable in a murder investigation. With the husband and father constantly away from their beautiful Lake Tahoe home, due to his being in the Armed Forces, Margaret is practically alone and afraid but still fiercely protective, but when blackmail walks in to her world in the shape of handsome Alek 'Al' Spera (Visnjic), there's can open, worms everywhere.What unfolds is a tale full of classic noir staples, yet it's no cliché addled picture. McGehee and Siegel paint a pristine portrait of middle class life, but once tainted by noir it's very unlikely the protagonist will get back to that pristine world. The relationship between Margaret and Al becomes fascinating, their respective impact on each other is the beating heart of The Deep End. It all builds to a finale that has caused some division amongst the people who have seen it, but it strikes the right chords and dangles the right questions in context to the human characteristics that have been played out. Personally I would suggest further viewings are required to really get the most from this piece.Beautifully photographed and scored, there is very little wrong here. Raymond Barry's "head" villain is a little weak, and some of the dialogue is a bit clunky, but really these are small irritants. The Deep End uses no tricks or over theatrics to grab our attention, it asks us to invest and pay attention in the principal players, because then, as the suspense and human psychological smarts come into play, is where the rewards are to be found. 8/10

Some of the lines uttered by these stick-figure characters were laughable. Some of the things Swinton's character does are ridiculous. Her character panics, but she just does not seem like the type who would panic---- by yanking out an anchor out of the victim's chest (with bare hands); attaching the body to the same rope and anchor; dumping the yellow tarp in her garbage can; jumping in to get the victim's car keys in her underwear in broad daylight; it's nuts. And the blackmailer's acting was bland, to go along with his ridiculous demands. He helps her with reviving her father-in-law? Jeez, I started out liking this movie but it just got too implausible after the first hour. However, the adolescent arrogance of the boy was played very will.

The majority of remakes tend to be disappointing, so it's especially enjoyable to see a movie like this which really bucks the trend. "The Deep End" is essentially a remake of Max Ophuls' "The Reckless Moment" and both movies were adapted for the screen from Elisabeth Sanxay Holding's story called "The Blank Wall". This thriller involves blackmail, a murder investigation and also a compelling account of the lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her family. Unusually though, it's also a story about characters who make great sacrifices for the people they care about.Margaret Hall (Tilda Swinton) lives near Lake Tahoe with her three children and father-in-law and becomes concerned about her 17 year old son's gay relationship with a significantly older man. She tries to persuade Darby Reese (Josh Lucas) to end the affair and he agrees to cooperate subject to a payment of $5,000. That night, however, he secretly visits Beau Hall (Jonathan Tucker) and after the two guys talk about Darby's readiness to be bought off, they argue and fight. Beau soon escapes and runs into the house but the dazed Darby staggers out of the boathouse and is accidentally killed as a result of falling onto an anchor on the beach.Next morning Margaret finds the body with some evidence which convinces her that her son was implicated and so to protect him, she dumps Darby's body in the lake. The body is found shortly after and a police investigation is launched immediately. A little later, things start to get complicated when a stranger called Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic) calls by Margaret's house and demands a substantial ransom to prevent him from passing a copy of a video tape to the police. The tape in question is potentially incriminating as it shows a sexual encounter involving Darby and Beau and thus establishes a close connection between the two men.Tilda Swinton is outstanding as the stressed and very determined mother who has to deal with a whole range of crises on her own because her husband is a naval officer whose duties keep him away from home for long periods of time. Swinton's expressions are incredibly effective in conveying the outward appearance of calmness which she feels she must maintain whilst at the same time giving hints of the enormous amount of fear and worry that she's experiencing. The range of duties and problems that her character deals with on a daily basis is impressive and also one of the reasons why her blackmailer unexpectedly changes his attitude towards her. Goran Visnjic displays the conflict which gradually develops within Spera very capably in what turns out to be a surprisingly good performance.The most striking difference between "The Deep End" and "The Reckless Moment" is that in the newer movie, the mother is motivated purely by a powerful desire to protect her family at all costs whereas in the older version there was also an element of being driven by a need to maintain the appearance of conforming with the perceived standards of her social class. There is also no indication in "The Deep End" that Margaret feels trapped by her family or that she feels any resentment about the pressures that their needs place on her."The Deep End" is a beautiful movie which is rich in atmosphere and the cinematography by Giles Nuttgens is marvellous. It's also well written, full of suspense and the development of the relationships between the various characters is interesting to watch.

Easily one of the most subversively homophobic films ever produced. Gay men are presented as sordid, lascivious predators who exclusively lurk in harshly-lit gay bars in the corrupt big city, coming into suburban areas to prey on vulnerable, sensitive adolescent boys. The idea that this "good kid" would allow himself to be filmed in the act of having sex is preposterous enough, but the director really exploits the scene by showing the actual act with inter-cuts to Tilda Swinton's face looking repulsed and grief-stricken.What's even more dangerous about this film is the fact that it is full of Trojan horses: the indie feel of the production, the casting of Derek Jarman's muse Tilda Swinton (who should be inducted in a special hall of infamy for selecting this piece), and the fact that gay men were apparently involved in putting the film together.Perhaps the film has some artistic merits, but overall I found it an infuriating, irresponsible film that I would have preferred to miss.