Chantage mortel

This Canadian quickie, starring mostly Canadian actors, deserves a look-see, even with Daniel Baldwin on board. Nathan Fillion plays a writer who has lost a child and moves with his wife to a small town that turns out to have more secrets than Carter has liver pills. The incredibly sexy Chandra West plays the wife and the even sexier Emmanuele Vaughier plays a femme fatale who intrudes in their lives. Baldwin is the corrupt town mayor. Vaughier and Fillion share a lakeside seduction scene that is hotter than hell, and a reminder why you don't usually see this film running in the daytime. It's A TOWN WITHOUT PITY for the new millennium, and holds up fairly well on a rewatch. I know it was not intentional, but there is a a very funny foot chase scene a little more than halfway through involving Fillion and the local sheriff. This ain't THE HOT SPOT and Fillion isn't Don Johnson, but it will do for what looks like a made-for-cable movie. Vaughier (or West, for that matter) is welcome to drug and seduce me any day.

I was feeling most of this movie but Molly coming back at the end from the water just in time was too much.

Nicely paced drama with tense to intense moments. Excellent casting and location make for superb ingredients of an unfolding rural mystery. The human conditions of broken dreams, empathy, greed, and love play major roles in fleshing out the characters brought together in this small place, in this small moment ... in time.

The major characters of Robert, Molly, and Rae flow downstream in increasing torrents of emotional whitewater, as jutting rocks of sex, murder, and deceitful suspense reveal themselves. Nice "Hitchcock-tonian" touch applied with a goateed Daniel Baldwin playing the shrewd small-town Mayor. [ What better way to accentuate a drama/mystery than applying a 'lil Daniel .... with those piercing blue eyes !?! ]

In my opinion, the climax was a bit "watered down" , but as in Life ... all is not as we might have hoped for , but as we have wrought , going up... only .... to the edge .

Good move by the producers to change the title to the present one from the former ... "Wicked Season" . Vive la Canadiens ! Bringing us all .... to the Waters Edge ....

The movie had some potential, but it was saddled with HORRIBLE acting, directing and producing. Seriously, the woman who played Rae gave one of the worst performances I've seen in quite some time. I found myself squirming in my seat, I was so embarrassed for her.

Unfortunately for her, the direction wasn't helping her. People should see this if only to see how bad her first real talking scene is. Film students should also watch this to see how NOT to film a flashback.

The writing and direction were also lacking in depth and detail. Some of the dialog was uninspired, to put it politely.

The only actor who delivered was Nathan Fillion as Robert (the lead). People should definitely see him in his proper role on the TV show Firefly, available on DVD.

"Water's Edge" screenwriter Craig Brewer wrote and directed the very low-budget, very compelling and brilliant "The Poor and Hungry", so that was all I really needed to know to put this picture at the top of my rental que. I'm a little disappointed. This is only a formulae thriller, perhaps just a cut above average, with decent casting and direction. I can see the Craig Brewer touch in the screenplay: relatively interesting characters, mostly believable plot considering the contrivances necessary for a formulae thriller, and good dialogue. I will still keep an eye on this remarkable talent for another unforgettable picture like his first. Some day. In the meantime I know you gotta pay the rent.