Film Review: Open Water

Sorry if pic is too big






Cast:

Blanchard Ryan .... Susan
Daniel Travis .... Daniel
Saul Stein .... Seth
Estelle Lau .... Estelle
Michael E. Williamson .... Davis
Cristina Zenarro .... Linda
John Charles .... Junior


Open Water, a so called true incident forms the basis of this thriller written, directed and co-produced by Chris Kentis (Grind). .It begins with a long sequence, covering more than a quarter of the running-time. Eventually, they go on scuba diving with the 'Open Water' Diving Group. Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) decide to "do their own thing" without the group . Surfacing late, they discover that the boat has left. The man responsible for taking an accurate count of the divers has made a mistake and not included them.
They get accidentally left behind in the deep by their charter boat and struggling to survive, they’re carried ever further out to sea. Menaced by sharks, being bitten by jelly fish, feeling the dire effects of hunger and dehydration .......

The moments when we actually see Daniel and Susan in the water as sharks swim about them are frightening-- yet those episodes are relatively few and brief. The rest of the film is pretty tedious going.

All of this would have made sense if it had added some drama to the lead characters, they’re so bland and generic. As they bicker about whose fault their predicament is and what to do about it, you’re as likely to find them annoying as sympathetic. By the time the film reaches the final quarter Open Water becomes increasingly effective, because it’s the situation that matters and not the characters. It has some unsettling moments for parts of the second half and towards the end, though technicallythe film is a barebones effort.

I'm sorry, but It definitely is not the masterpiece that many are claiming it to be, nor does it achieve the nerve-wracking heights that it's aiming for - especially when compared to "The Blair Witch Project."


Rating -

thanks for the review jrs...i'll wait for cable now...

thanks for the review, i was going to see it sometime soon, ill just wait to rent it when it comes out

I really hate a poor review to a movie I was anticipating to be good while counting down the days to it's debut. Why did I take a peek in this thread? Why? Please, somebody tell me why?

*sigh* I am such a weak weak man.

Shame on you JRS.

Since when is a barebones effort to making a film such a bad one?

It essentially took only four people to make this movie. Four. The writer/director, producer and the two actors. Every scene with a shark...that is a real shark. Their reactions are real.

This wasn't a barebones effort, this was an ambitious and passionate effort. That barebones effort you talk about is what gives this movie the vibe that makes it so appealing in the first place. Basic story, two people stuck in the ocean, sounds neat...but how it develops and the journey it takes the audience on is nothing short of immpressive given the equipment and man power used. This is obviously not a Hollywood effort. This movie was a dream and a vision for those four involved, particularily the director. Perhaps I'm taking your barebones statement to far and shaping it into the notion that because it is barebones that it lacks other characteristics as well, but as an aspiring filmmaker who admires heavily anyone who attempts something out of their league with just the barebones reading that was almost offensive.

I felt the characters are indeed what drove the movie and not the situation they are unfortunately stuck in. You tell me your heart didn't ache and your jaw didn't drop during the last 8 or so minutes of the movie and I'll call you a liar! What they go through is harrowing in every sense of the word and the film does not fail whatsoever to express that.

It seems to me like you were more so hurt by the fact that this was such a "barebones" effort. Honestly, would you have enjoyed it more if it had a $10 million dollar budget, was filmed widescreen by lets say Renny Harlin?

I recommend it to anyone who is willing to be a helpless spectator to the tragic two that float in this film.

This movie isn't Jaws and this movie doesn't try to be Jaws, yet it is still hurt by the stigma and expectations of Shark movies. This isn't a Shark movie, this is a survival movie and anyone who tries to take it in different is going to get the short end of the stick.

As for waiting to rent it, you're only hurting your experience.

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