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Movies / On DVD / The Weight of Water
The Weight of Water

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The Weight of Water (2002)

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Reviews Counted:62

Fresh:20

Rotten:42

Average Rating:5.1/10

Consensus: The story is too muddled to build any interest.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violence, sexuality/nudity and brief language

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Nov 1, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: Two stories unravel simultaneously in this dark and suspenseful film. The first story, set in the present day, concerns a photographer, Jean (Catherine McCormack). She is working on an article for... Two stories unravel simultaneously in this dark and suspenseful film. The first story, set in the present day, concerns a photographer, Jean (Catherine McCormack). She is working on an article for a magazine about a pair of bloody murders that happened 200 years before on the Isle of Shoals, just off the coast of New Hampshire. To get the pictures she needs she must visit the location of the murders, and so her husband, Thomas (Sean Penn), arranges a yachting trip with his brother, Rich (Josh Lucas), and Rich's girlfriend, Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley). The foursome pal around, enjoying the sea and the sun, while Adaline shamelessly seduces Thomas. Meanwhile, Jean is reliving the Isle of Shoals murders in her head, which is where the second story comes in. Maren (Sarah Polley) is a Norwegian woman who has recently immigrated to America with her husband. When her sister (Katrin Cartlidge) and sister-in-law (Vinessa Shaw) are brutally bludgeoned to death with an axe, she is the sole survivor, and thus the only one who knows the truth about what happened. THE WEIGHT OF WATER draws a parallel between these two tense episodes, as the surf swirls menacingly, foretelling imminent disaster. [More]

Starring: Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, Sarah Polley

Starring: Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, Sarah Polley, Anders W. Berthelsen, Katrin Cartlidge, Ciaran Hinds, Joshua Lucas, Vinessa Shaw, Ulrich Thomsen

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Janet Yang, Joni Sighvatsson, A. Kitman Ho
Screenwriter: Alice Arlen, Christopher Kyle
Composer: David Hirschfelder
Studio: Lions Gate Films

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Release:

Mar 4, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for The Weight of Water

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Artistically speaking, Bigelow's drama may be her most ambitous and personal film to date, a multi-layered (period and contemporary) psychological thriller that borrows from Bergman's masterpiece Persona; commercially, however, it's problematic.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
12/20/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: tonymedley.com | comment Comment
10/07/04
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com

Nem as ótimas performances de Sarah Polley e Sean Penn conseguem conferir energia a este filme, cujas histórias desenvolvidas paralelamente se anulam de forma implacável.

comment Comment
11/12/03
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
09/17/03
Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine

The film might appeal to those who've already read the book, but it's unlikely those who haven't will find much of anything to enjoy here.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
08/01/03
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

It doesn't surprise me that this film sat for two years in storage before released, as the final version appeared clunky.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/17/03
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Bigelow offers some flashy twists and turns that occasionally fortify this turgid fable. But for the most part, The Weight of Water comes off as a two-way time-switching myopic mystery that stalls in its lackluster gear of emotional blandness.

Full Review Source: TheWorldJournal.com | comment Comment
02/02/03
Frank Ochieng
Frank Ochieng
TheWorldJournal.com

Despite an impressive roster of stars and direction from Kathryn Bigelow, The Weight of Water is oppressively heavy.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/26/03
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dallas Observer | comment Comment
01/08/03
Bill Gallo
Bill Gallo
Dallas Observer

The superior plotline isn't quite enough to drag along the dead (water) weight of the other.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
01/02/03
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Elegantly crafted but emotionally cold, a puzzle whose intricate construction one can admire but is difficult to connect with on any deeper level.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
12/30/02
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

The jarring jumps between disconnected stories and watered-down sensationalism make for a soggy experience.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
12/19/02
Gary Dowell
Gary Dowell
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
12/16/02
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The Weight of Water uses water as a metaphor for subconscious desire, but this leaky script barely stays afloat.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
12/13/02
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Two] fairly dull -- contrasting and interlocking stories about miserable Scandinavian settlers in 18th-century Canada, and yuppie sailboaters in the here and now.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
12/13/02
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

There are a few wrong notes, and the ending is too enigmatic for its own good, but for a studio production the film is uncommonly intelligent and uncompromising.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
12/13/02
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sarah Polley deserves some kind of recognition for her role in this film.

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
12/13/02
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

None of the characters or plot-lines are fleshed-out enough to build any interest.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Ross Williams
Ross Williams
Film Threat
 
 
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