Review of The Weight of Water (2001) by Amy V — 15 Jan 2008

This film tells two stories. The first, a murder mystery occurring in what appears to be 19th century New England in an immigrant community. The second, the story of two couples - brothers played by Sean Penn and Josh Lucas with, respectively wife (Catherine McCormack) and girlfriend (Elizabeth Hurley) - on a short holiday somewhat casually investigating the matter as they sail around the locale. The timelines are well demarcated cinematically through color and sound (with a couple of odd cuts), and this film will appeal to fans of the neo-noir/mystery genre, as well as folks who like to watch Elizabeth Hurley walk around barely clad. There are some interesting relationships between the past and present storylines, well-filmed parallel stormy crescendos, and some worthy dialogue (such as the extended conversation between McCormake and Hurley about Penn's character).

I liked Mccormack as Penn's troubled photographer wife. She and Ciaran Hinds as the creepy accused murderer in the flashbacks were the bright spots in this film for me. Sarah Polley put in a typically good effort as a gray, twisted, perpetually disappointed young bride in a hard new world. Hurley was hired to ooze naughtiness in this film, and that's what she did by sucking and nibbling on every small object at hand and stroking herself so much that I'd have expected a related rash or friction burn. Was Penn's character an ogling, self-obsessed, unlikeable poet or a grand, tortured poet-soul? "Talent excuses cruelty." Josh Lucas just sort of handsomely floated around the periphery of the troubled threesome for most of the film, and Vinissa Shaw floated through the middle of the earlier timeline as Polley's naive and very sweet sister-in-law.

In the end, there were lots of moments that I liked, but the whole thing left me with a few unscratched itches and that feeling that, like a few of the characters, I'd been quickly diddled and then left alone.