Aquarians

This film impacted me more than any other film this year. The performances are incredible and the story heart wrenching.

Imagine the rascal boy ,coming back to his little and severely religious hometown as a clergyman, meeting up at his drug selling,joyride living brother, the rascal number two, both having psychological issues, to what happened to rascal number three a few years ago. add on the local vicar,the church community, and all the other people of all kinds and sizes, it can be unpredictable.... i shall not summarize more, due to the threat of being stigmatized with a spoiler review.

its a funny, actually hilarious at times, but also deep and sad at moments, it has a take on different issues connected to the catholic church, but not damaging or done in a harrasing way. there are a lot of innocense in the story, and reminds me very well about my first real working day as the head nurse or matress instead of matrone. the feeling of being a proffesional without knowing anything i was supposed to know, well it was frightening indeed.

it is on average quality of filming, the soundwork couldve been better, especially on the lake where you should suppose it is dead quite, but get some industrial like noise in the background. its very disturbing for an old man to listen to due to tinnitus, so that could have been better.

the acting are very good by the 3 main male caracters, and i guess ive seen mr.riehle for the 75TH time including this movie, a small but well acted role.

though the grumpy old man does not think its a blockbuster, or what ill expect that norwegian tv-channels would buy, its still a watchable film, ok playtime and pace, but could have dove deeper into the matter i guess

Aquarians is a legitimately well made independent film. I gave it a shot due to its quality film festival pedigree and I was rewarded with its honest filmmaking. The story centers on two brothers in a snowy Wisconsin town. These brothers appear to have gone in opposite directions in their lives -- one is about to become a priest and the other is a recluse who sells pot. Aquarians reunites these brothers and we witness them grapple with their differences, their futures, as well as come to terms with past tragedy. For me, the film was worth watching just for the pretty snowy midwestern landscapes, but the story and its deft handling are why we watch little indie finds like this. Give Aquarians a watch.

More films like this one would get me off the couch and back to the cinema.

Lovely acting set in a community that feels so very real (if not a wee bit romanticized.)

There is an element of subdued magic realism in the film that finally blossoms into something like faith.

All adults will gain something by watching this film.

The wonderfully understated "Aquarians" evokes tragedy to pave its difficult road to redemptive familial reconciliation, and deftly leverages faith as the prevailing connective tissue between its expertly conceived storytelling elements.

"Aquarians" has a resounding Wisconsinness to it; a beautifully icy tonality and a chilly serenity very intentionally put into play to provide the deceptive impression of plainness. Yet this film is anything but plain, as its initial use of atmospherics belies its masterfully intricate nuances in character construction. Daniel (Chandler Massey) is the proverbial good son, returning home as deacon of his long-standing family church. Jacob (Shane Coffey) is Daniel's visceral counterpoint; a self-imposed isolationist buried deep in the rural wilds. Their disparate makeups put them at odds, yet a consuming shared tragedy tears at the foundations of both. Inevitably, its residual impacts draw them nearer to a center point: Danny slowly veers towards Jake's darker influences, indulging behaviors presumably not endorsed in the instruction booklet provided to seminary students. Paradoxically, Jake is forced the other way, retreating within to address his own torments until his outer shell cracks, leading to a deeper reconnection with his brother. In "Aquarians," both men offer a redemptive pathway for the other, and the resulting opportunity to chart forward-looking paths.

Apparent simplicity begets intensive complexity throughout "Aquarians," as the film demonstrates an ancient patience in coaxing its deep meanings to slowly pour forth. Its two male leads are exemplary, each offering a complexity of truth we're far too sporadically shown in cinema. Despite our ages-old familiarity with stories expounding forgiveness and faith, "Aquarians" somehow presents as newly ripe for our times. This is a resoundingly honest film, and with a consuming authenticity felt to the bones. - Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!