Maelström (2002)

Denis Villeneuve's sophomore effort may not be as rewarding as his later features and is unrefined in many aspects too but it is a bizarre piece of work that tackles the themes of guilt, grief, regret & atonement in its own wicked manner but what makes it worthy of a sit is the brilliant performance from its leading lady.Maelström tells the story of a young, depressed & alcoholic woman who is having a hard time living up to the expectations of being a celeb's daughter. Yet to recover from an unexpected pregnancy that led her to have an abortion, she finds herself in another mess after being involved in a hit-n- run accident while drunk driving.Written & directed by Denis Villeneuve, the story is narrated by a fish awaiting decapitation on a butcher's block and that opening moment when the fish starts talking nearly made me turn it off because what the f*ck. Fishes do play a symbolic role here but Villeneuve could've done without the voice-over because it adds nothing to the plot.The director's attempts to make it funny hits the right spot only on few occasions while falling flat other times. How the story unfolds carries an experimental feel and camera is finely utilised from start to finish. Other than the protagonist, there aren't any interesting characters in it but Marie- Josée Croze plays her part sincerely and her performance is this film's highlight.On an overall scale, Maelström inclines a little more towards the art-house section but it has plenty of moments that will keep the mainstream viewers around as well. Humour makes its presence felt in the most unexpected moments here but few creative choices don't go well with its overall tone. An early effort from the then-budding filmmaker trying to carve his own distinct style, Maelström is frustrating at times but it may still amuse some.

Excellent first major independent feature from Villeneuve and it demonstrates real, intelligent, talent. The lead actress, Marie-Josée Croze, is perfect in her role, I wouldn't want it any other way. This is one of those films I wish I could have been creatively involved in in any way because just being a part of it is a special thing. It's a special indie film from the grand year 2000. This is a film for serious viewers with deeper interests in film. I wouldn't recommend to someone just because they say they love Villeneuve's Prisoners. I would recommend it to someone who is really into film.

"Maelstrom" is all about Bibi (Croze) who has an abortion and then, traumatized and suffering pangs of guilt, she proceeds to perpetrate a series of felonies. So goes the plot of this amateurish film which is narrated by a fish. The upside of this subtitled French-Canadian film is good work by Croze and cast. However, the film shows an obvious lack of talent behind the lens. Uneven, herky-jerky, quirky to the absurd, with hackneyed irony, nonsense for filler, awful music, poor quality video and subtitling, and not fitting any genre, "Maelstrom" is one to be flushed. (D+)

Someone has to put a counterview, and I'm happy to do it. The film starts promisingly, with the fish head narrator, but descends so quickly into arty pretentiousness that any goodwill is quickly squandered. I found it so unbearably up itself that I walked out, something I rarely do. It was probably the worst film I saw at the 2001 Sydney Film Festival.