Boanthrope

This was a pretty good film with strong performances all round. I really liked the storyline. (See other comments for a fuller plot outline.) However, I found this to be quite a strange film in the respect that it was simultaneously too long and too short. Let me explain...

The film seemed to be trying to do too many things with too many characters. There were several 'main' characters (Spacey, Moore, Dench, the daughter Bunny, Blanchett to a degree) with their own histories and developments. There were also many peripheral characters, some also with their own stories.

I felt that the film had too much going on and seemed to lose its focus, so instead of being drawn into all the characters' stories we are drawn into none. In that respect I felt the film should have been longer so that the plot lines could be fleshed out more.

For example, towards the end of the film there are several plot revelations relating the main characters. However, instead of thinking, "Oh right! THAT's why that character was behaving that way!" I just thought, "Oh, OK then. If you say so." The revelations seemed to come out of nowhere. I didn't feel I was led to believe there WAS anything to reveal (especially in Julianne Moore's case), or at least the hints were very subtle and not enough to suck me into the characters' stories.

**MAJOR SPOILERS**

I mean, was there ANYTHING in the film to hint at the fact that there was anything untoward about Julianne Moore's marriage? Did we really feel that Judi Dench had some dark, secret from the past? OK, there were hints, but not enough to draw you into her character or make you think anything major occurred. The cousin (?) just came out of nowhere (plotwise) and spilt all the beans. Also, were we led to believe that the Quoyles may have had a sinister past, before we suddenly discover their true origins? All I remember is that they were known as sea-folk.

**END SPOILERS**

Not that I'm condoning the sledgehammer approach, but I did feel that main characters' surfaces were barely scratched before their exteriors were suddenly ripped off, with Spacey a possible exception.

So, despite the fact that I feel that the film should have been longer, my detachment from the main characters made the film seem slightly slow - hence it 'felt' a bit overlong.

All in all, this seems to smack of a film trying to be faithful to a novel (which I have not read) by cramming in as many of its characters and events as possible, while overlooking the main feel, emotions and intrigue of the story and its protagonists.

Having said that, the story itself, as it resolves itself in the end, along with strong performances still make this an above average movie.