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This is a somewhat 'arthouse' film with lots of symbolic metaphors intertwined into the story. The story itself is not bad, it is focused around one main character and manages to sustain the interest of the viewer through some clever turns. The filming, the imagery, are extremely well done at times, managing to convey perfectly a sense of isolation/dissociation. The drawbacks are certain extended scenes, romantic interludes that begin to feel a bit slow, a bit quiet. Some scenes could have been put, like the fish in this movie, on the chopping block. Still other scenes seem a little too fabricated/coincidental. Overall, this is a minor success, compelling and dramatic, interesting and original. No earth shattering epiphanies here, but still a solid tale done up in many colours.

"mælstrom" -- a large, violent whirlpool from which there is no escape

The Chinese consider water as the abode of the dragon and the source of all life. Dennis Villenueve's Maelstrom is filled with multiple levels of water imagery: a fish as narrator, a suicide attempt in a river, the main character falling in love with a frogman, and scenes of repeated cleansing by water. Winner of five major Genie awards in 2001, Maelstrom is a playfully alive but dramatically intense look at the life a pleasure-seeking 25-year old boutique executive of (Marie Josee Croze) who runs into an emotional storm following an abortion and a fatal accident that she does not report. Like many who exist solely for their own pleasure, she manages to avoid responsibility but ends up having to deal with the results and becomes transformed in the process.

Pierre Lebeau narrates the film in a heavy voice as a fish awaiting decapitation. Villenueve says that, "For me, it (the fish) is a kind of metaphor for all the storytellers from the beginning of mankind". It is an odd conceit but strangely effective. The fish tells the story of Bibi and we first meet her at a medical clinic undergoing an abortion. Guilt is written on her face as we witness her descent into alcohol and drugs. She is fired for incompetence by her brother and, after drinking heavily, is involved in a hit and run accident in which a Norwegian fish industry worker is killed. Spiraling downward, she attempts suicide but survives and falls in love with the dead man's son Evian (Jean-Nicholas Verreault) after attending the father's funeral.

Maelstrom does not sound much like a romantic comedy but it is full of off-the-wall humor and suffers from an overabundance of cleverness. The film does not progress in linear fashion and there are several shifts of time and perspective to keep the viewer on edge. One flashback shows the chain of events that follows a complaint about the quality of the octopus in a restaurant and a stranger (Marc Gelinas) who keeps popping up in strange places to offer words of wisdom to the characters. The soundtrack also varies from Tom Waits to Edvard Grieg, even including "Good Morning, Starshine" from "Hair". Philosophical, surreal, absurd, symbolic, all with a creative touch similar to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie, Maelstrom tells us that the secret of life is…to be continued.

There are opening scenes to movies, and then there's Maelstrom! Easily one of the most memorable and daring intro's I've seen in recent memory. I was humming that tune for days! The tale is simple, easy to follow, but I won't give it away - the unusual coincidences and twists in this film should be experienced fresh. However, the course of the story brings the viewer various emotions; frustration and disdain at a young woman engaging in questionable activities (not to mention the crime that she goes relatively unpunished for), humour in foreign situations (a heavy car, fisherman versions of justice), and finally happiness (but I won't say how). Oh, yeah, and it's narrated by a fish! Several fishes, I should say. Which gives the film a quirkiness that's refreshing, given the sometimes dark and depressing subject matter. <you twinkle above us, we twinkle below.......>

A creepy fish being chopped up by a bloody butcher tells the story of 25 year old Bibiane Champagne (Marie-Josée Croze). She owns clothing boutiques and just got an abortion. She is struggling in her life and then kills fishmonger Annstein Karson in a hit and run accident. Reporter Marie-Jeanne Sirois interviews her about being a daughter of celebrity Flo Fabert. Suffering from the guilt, she drives her car off the pier. She encounters Annstein's son Evian at the funeral home and pretends to be Annstein's neighbor.

On the good side, the surrealism is memorable. The crumbling of Bibiane is palpable. Croze is terrific. On the other hand, the movie is a bit confused. The flow of the story is a bit disjointed. Nevertherless, there is an edginess and originality in Denis Villeneuve's vision.

After watching the excellent movie "Prisoners" from 2013 from director Denis Villeneuve I decide to look up what else he made for movies. Prisoners was exceptionally good so I thought his other work would be of the same level but with Maelström I am a bit disappointed. It's not that it is a bad movie or so, but it's just not in the same ballpark then Prisoners. It's a movie that you watch once and then forget about it. The cast of Maelström is good, nothing bad at all to say about the actors. Marie-Josée Croze gives a good performance, playing the woman that has big issues in her life. The narrating voice from the fish played by Pierre Lebeau works perfectly well in the story. Even though French is my native language I had trouble to understand some actors with their Canadian accent. I could understand Pierre Lebeau and Marie-Josée Croze very well but Jean-Nicolas Verreault and his accent from Quebec I couldn't understand a word of his mumbling. Anyways, it doesn't matter to the story or movie, because I could just read the English subtitles, but Maelström is just an average movie to me.

Maelstrom is a unique blend of happenstance, a touch of magical realism and a cautionary tale wrapped in the stunning cinematography Andre Turpin. Unfortunately when one reads a synopsis of the film the reviewers focus on a brief yet impactive scene that happens at the beginning of the film. The irony is this scene is handled deftly and tastefully by Director Denis Villeneuve. But due to the skewed American sensibilities surrounding sex and violence, a masterful portrayal of daily reality is maligned as shocking and graphic. Frankly I'm more disturbed by images I see on the nightly news and on reality TV. So if you can ignore the synopsis a brilliantly poetic piece of cinema awaits you. This is a well crafted film whose visual elements carry the tale, (a lesson M. Night Shamalyan could have used before engulfing his audience in the endless exposition of Lady In the Water) that is ultimately uplifting.

This is not a movie for the squeamish or for folks who need to understand everything...and frankly, I didn't see the point to one part of it...what the heck was that fish all about? The movie would have been better with no narration, let alone narration from something horrible and divorced from reality.

But there are a lot of great moments. Don't take your date to this one, kids, but if you're in the mood for a look at some somber drama, consider this show. It's different. 6/10.

Reviews or descriptions won't do this film justice. Simply put, it is one of the most beautiful films I've seen. Too often directors forget that film is meant to be a VISUAL medium, and bludgeon their audience with a 10 minute scene of actors blathering at each other. You won't find that here. An intelligent treatment of the human condition, a wry sense of humour, great acting performances, and an excellent visual style make Denis Villeneuve a director to keep track of, and this film a joy to watch.

'Maelström (2000)' is a pseudo surrealistic drama directed by Dennis Villeneuve. It's only his second feature, so it's perhaps natural - though not inevitable - that it isn't as good as his more modern work. The picture moves at an odd pace which sees its most interesting aspect squeezed into what's essentially its final act. It also takes a fair while to set itself up, with the plot point that IMDb uses as a summary occurring over halfway in. It's generally quite slow, too, and isn't as engaging as it could have been. Having said that, it's still a solid effort. The direction is confident if somewhat complacent, the acting is believable and the writing is relatively witty. The picture aims for an almost Pedro Almodóvar-like vibe in which coincidence drives the plot, with fate seeming to do more work than the protagonist. This makes for a distinct experience that doesn't try to emulate more conventional fare, even if it also reduces (or seems to reduce) the activeness of the lead. One of the flick's most intriguing aspects is the fact that it is narrated by a fish who's in the process of being butchered by a grimy fishmonger in what seems to be an underground torture chamber. To be honest, this kind of feels out of place with the rest of the piece, primarily because it's much more surreal than anything else that happens. It just doesn't fit with the flick's generally grounded aesthetic, seeming much more like the sort of thing Jean-Pierre Jeunet would include in his overtly quirky and cartoon-esque worlds. Still, it's an enjoyable element and it's likely to be the thing that sticks with you the most after the movie is over. In general, this is a solid drama with good performances and an unconventional story. It's perhaps a bit too simple for its own good, but it's entertaining enough for what it is. If the pace was tighter and the characters were more compelling, I could see this being a bit of a sleeper hit. As it is, though, it's a more-or-less average early entry in a distinctly above average filmmaker's filmography. 6/10.

When the first scene started I didn't even realize I was watching a fish until it moved its mouth. This plot wasn't anything special, with the only unique part being a fish telling the story. People and things are somehow related, like we are living in a small world. Mostly predictable and boring, I don't think this one is as thought provoking or profound as it seemed to be. 4.5/10.

I left the theater with a true smile "hooked" on my face. Here is a tale as grave and dark, and yet as lovely, as Grimm's original plots used to be, with however, a very personal imagery and contemporary twist. Fishes being cut in pieces by a fisherman tell this story about a young upper class women's life going from bad to worse. An neutral, almost "silent" camera shows very clean and beautiful takes of desperation and emptiness. Then, as the story turns, with odds only reality itself could invent, witty dialogs and situations light up the tale into a true bliss. The ageless fishes presents it all in a very solemn manner, conterbalancing wonderfully with the superficial and aimless modern world in which the characters live. The whole movie is thoughtful, questioning to the viewer and articulate in its very own way.

Denis Villeneuve film I saw years ago. Simple story, realism except for little flaws. I think the theme is cruelty, whether willful, accidental, or naive. I like the idea of the double guilt we get to compare. Good work announcing better to come.

Denis Villeneuve's weakest movie.a movie trying to display about sin and redemption.like all other 'guilty spoiled female protagonist' movies, she transformed into a new person.and then the funniest thing.our revenge seeking hero (who realized his enemy is a woman instead of a man) fall in love with her, have sex with her and that's the end of the film.

"Maelström" heralds the arrival of a major directorial talent. Denis Villeneuve, who not only directed but also wrote the screenplay, displays a very high level of cinematic maturity. The film itself does not lead to any profound ending but rather peels off layer by layer. It's often unpredictable and at times hilarious. One thing to note is the astonishing camera and lighting work done by young cinematographer André Turpin. If this was a Hollywood production shot by a veteren Cameraman it would scream 'Oscar!, Oscar!' but alas.. Maelström was produced in a country that provides incentives to foreign productions yet does so little in encouraging and supporting homegrown talent.

Long before he became a hot property in Hollywood, writer-director Denis Villeneuve made this relatively "small" film in his native Canada. It catches your attention right from the opening scene - this must be the first (non-animated, at least) film ever narrated by a fish! It is written with clockwork precision, sometimes telling events from different viewpoints, and directed with virtuosity. It's mostly somber, but it also has a peculiar, macabre sense of humor (major example: the meaning of the lyrics of the "folkloric" Norwegian song). Marie-Josée Croze, a name that really should be better known, is stylish and amazingly beautiful and holds most of the film on her shoulders. *** out of 4.

How do you describe this? How do you review it?

The acting, direction, plot and cinematography are all top notch. Villenueve gives us glimpses of what he will become in movies such as Dune, Prisoners and Arrival.

Is it a bit arthouse? Possibly. Is it quirky? Definitely.

The story is one of a self obsessed woman who ploughs through life with no thought for anyone but herself. The consequences of her actions never really come back to haunt her.

The graphic depiction of an abortion in the opening scenes is particularly gruelling, the failed shop, the drunken nights, the drunken driving, etc etc.

The fish are strange but add to the strange tone the film takes.

It nails the depressing tone through sparse colors & empty shots. Coving heavy topics of guilt & death with a raw approach. Ambiguous & hard to follow with inconsistent tones overall but starts to find its footing in the 3rd act.

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. It nails the depressing tone through sparse colors & empty shots. Coving heavy topics of guilt & death with a raw approach. Ambiguous & hard to follow with inconsistent tones overall but starts to find its footing in the 3rd act.

. .

. It nails the depressing tone through sparse colors & empty shots. Coving heavy topics of guilt & death with a raw approach. Ambiguous & hard to follow with inconsistent tones overall but starts to find its footing in the 3rd act.

Maelstrom is a beautiful film told in a unique way. The director uses the unlikely narrator of a fish (with it's head perpetually about to/being cut off) telling the story of a beautiful woman who's life is a complete wreck. After meeting the man of her dreams, she realizes she has killed his father in a drunken car accident. Full of hilarious plot twists and non-chronological narrative jumps, this movie is amazing. If you ever get a chance to see it, do it. It will not let you down.

MAELSTROM labored far too hard be unconventional, yet Denis Villeneuve(director) did demonstrate the possibility for a very interesting film. Guilt due to an abortion which is exacerbated by a hit and run incident communicates a compelling narrative, but why introduce...a talking fish??? Sure, one could make a case for a 'talking fish', but how about a 'laughing typewriter', or an 'all knowing piece of cheese'. You just can't introduce something so outré without explanation, or you cross the line into extreme pretension. Of course, the 'talking fish' might represent Fertility, yet 'a laughing typewriter' could also indicate a playful creator, or 'an all knowing piece of cheese' could represent all of the above. If you want to get weird, the weird can turn pro. MAELSTROM had a fine cast, but the script failed to blend the ham-fisted element of 'the fishy fable' with the story's inherent dramatic subject matter, and in the end, the film aborted

Someone has to put a counterview, and I'm happy to do it. The film starts promisingly, with the fish head narrator, but descends so quickly into arty pretentiousness that any goodwill is quickly squandered. I found it so unbearably up itself that I walked out, something I rarely do. It was probably the worst film I saw at the 2001 Sydney Film Festival.

The film opens with a large, visibly injured, and obviously fake fish talking directly to the audience. Nearby a man is cutting up fish. The talking fish says that his life in nearly over, and he would like to tell a "pretty" story with his last breaths. Then we cut to a beautiful woman, in a doctor's office. We soon figure out that she is having an abortion. As we see the fetal matter being incinerated and her leaving the building, the grossly perky song "Good Morning Starshine" begins to play. Okay... This is obviously not going to be your normal film.

The woman is named Bibiane (Marie-Josée Croze), and she turns out to be the main character. Perhaps related to the abortion, it soon becomes clear that her life is not going too well right now. Not long into the film she is removed from her position in the family business, a chain of upscale clothing stores, by her brother (although at first I thought he was her estranged or ex-husband).

Most reviews or plot summaries go into more detail about events that occur in the middle and end of the film, but I'll keep it to that. There are some rather unlikely coincidences along the way, in case that sort of thing bothers you. And there is a distinct water theme, which is not surprising given the title. I would classify the film as primarily a drama, since the laughs are mostly at surprising events rather than strictly funny ones, and because the film kept me feeling slightly uncomfortable throughout.

Marie-Josée Croze is very good here. The cinematography is excellent, with at least one shot that took my breath away. The story and the direction, both by Denis Villeneuve, on the other hand, are somewhat suspect. Besides the aforementioned coincidences, several scenes are juxtaposed in a seemly random manner, and you can't figure them out until later if then. Now this could just be a mechanism to get you to think, and in the wake of Memento (which came out at about the same time as this film) one is becoming used to the idea of the film structure mirroring the main character's thought processes. I'm not sure I completely buy this argument, but I'll give it a little leeway.

This film won the best picture, direction, cinematography, screenplay, and actress awards in Canada at their equivalent of the Academy Awards, but it is only just now getting to the United States, where it is expected to play for a very short time. In the San Jose, CA area it is expected on May 17th.

Seen on 5/5/2002 at the Camera Cinema Club in San Jose, CA.

I saw this film at Sundance and it was the best film I saw there by far.

Marie-Josée Croze is a French-speaking long-lost sexy little sister of Maura Tierney (for all you casting directors out there). The first scene of the movie is likely to shock 95% of viewers, but if they can get past it this twisted caper is not only worth seeing at the theater/theatre/cinema, but a good candidate for DVD collections. RIYL: Delicatessen, Insomnia, David Lynch.