Reviews

This slice of life film is about the struggles of a teenage girl named Maggie to reach some kind of equilibrium in her life is both beautiful and thoughtful. It follows Maggie's progress through the course of perhaps several weeks of her teenage existence, desperately trying to take care of her baby Lucy, balance her relationship with her mother, while trying attain some sort of normal teenage/adult social life.

The real star of this film is Kim Schnitzer, who plays her role as Maggie so naturally that you fall effortlessly into the reality of her character. She is the central focus of the film and camera, and she is well up to the role, as well as Gordon Schmidt who plays her boyfriend equally naturally.

The sparse dialogue is very realistic, there is no witty impossibly perfect dialogue nor are there any special effects, just Maggie left to make her own mistakes, missteps, and misjudgments. The kind that are typical of a real girl in her situation, and not some Hollywood scriptwriter's approximation of what might be imagined as the challenges of a teenager. It is through the choices Maggie makes and her struggles that the real strength of her character and desperation are revealed.

I highly recommend watching this if you enjoy slice of life films. People used to fast paced action films will complain that it is too slow moving, but if you can sit back and let the story unfold like real life does, then you will find the heart of this movie and be moved by it.

Director Henner Winckler overcomes what must have amounted to a modest budget by using completely natural settings and by keeping the camera firmly focused on the highly expressive face of Kim Schnitzer. I give this film 10 of 10 in this genre of film.

Open Water has very deservedly received its excellent press reviews; it is a very well crafted film by writer and director Chris Kentis. The story is about the trials a diving couple face after being accidentally stranded in the ocean out of sight of land, but the focus is much more on what transpires emotionally between them, and their relationship with nature. Long after the media hype created by the distribution company fades, this indie masterpiece will be remembered for what it really is: the devastatingly natural portrayal of a loving couple's interaction in their final hours, hopelessly set adrift in the immense forces of nature.

A viewer expecting or desiring to see high seas action populated with a heroic couple battling with evil sharks or actors spouting glib repartee will be sadly disappointed. This is a surprisingly thoughtful film, the quiet of the ocean and desolation of the couple during the course of their ordeal is beautifully portrayed. Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis both contribute exceptional performances, both have been allowed to explore their roles as real people, and they do it so convincingly that you immediately become immersed in the couple's plight.

I highly recommend this film, it is indie film making at its finest.