Deep Water

Most ingredients for a good movie are there, there is suspense, romance, betrayal, sex and excellent acting.

But the movie itself is not greater than the sum of its parts. There is the opportunity to play with the characters and build a story around them that could have been a lot better. You will watch this movie from start to finish because the suspense is there but you are left with a great sense of « that's it? ».

I think it's a movie that thinks it's better than it actually is and despite being more than decent it is quite disappointing compared to the anticipation it had. I still like it though, I think it delivered just about what you'd expect, quite similar aura to "Gone girl" which Ben Affleck featured in too, just not as good. It's not that complex of a story, the movie goes in the exact same direction you expect it to, which let some people down but as exciting as dramatic twists make a movie, I don't think a film should be considered poor just because of the lack of them. It reveals it's hands early,so there's no mystery but as predictable as the story gets, I was still quite intrigued to understand how the main characters, Melinda and Vic, thought. That was the only real let down for me, I wish it had more character depth, maybe show us how exactly their relationship began and whether or not it was that perverse from the start.

It could have also done well with a slightly shorter runtime, it's a slow thriller and I think it sits right on the edge of becoming too long a movie. There also some plot holes and implausible moments, well just one that's bothering me really; when Don showed up in the forest, how he and Melinda could have guessed what happened there, or if it was all just coincidental which is a little hard to believe.

The acting did most of the heavy lifting, it's great by the entire cast, which surprised me because at first glance I thought Ben Affleck and maybe de Arma's would be the only standouts. Also expected more chemistry when I first heard of the movie since they were seeing each other at the time, but the relationship they share in the movie is meant to be somewhat emotionless so you can't fault it for that. The whole movie can be pared down to Ben affleck going "sure, you could sleep with my wife if you want to, but then I'd have to kill you."

The movie does have it's shortcomings, it's definitely not as good as it should be but all in all I think it's still alright. I just think when people anticipate a movie to be a 9/10 for instance, and it turns out to actually be a 6 or 7 they get so disappointed and give it lower ratings than it actually deserves because it's not what they expected.

Greetings again from the darkness. Based on his work, arguments can be made on both sides. Director Adrian Lyne is either a staunch believer in monogamous marriages, or he enjoys mocking the concept altogether. Surprisingly, this is his first film in 20 years since UNFAITHFUL (2002). To refresh your memory, he's also the force behind 9 ½ WEEKS (1986), FATAL ATTRACTION (1987), and INDECENT PROPOSAL (1993). Co-writers Zach Helm and Sam Levinson have adapted the script from the 1957 novel by Patricia Highsmith, who also wrote "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Strangers on a Train".

"Do you know I love you?" When one spouse feels the need to ask about love rather than declare it, you know it's an unusual marriage. And in the category of unusual marriages, you'd be hard-pressed to find an arrangement more bizarre than the one between Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda (Ana de Armas). Thanks to real life public drama for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, we all know that "open marriages" are a thing. But this with Vic and Melinda is neither fully "open" nor fully a marriage. Vic invented and sold a computer chip used in drones (mostly for warfare) and he's so rich, that he'd rather watch his free-spirited wife drag home new boy-toys than give her an expensive divorce. But that's as much explanation as we receive for what seems like a lose-lose-lose scenario. That third lose is for Melinda's gentlemen friends who seem to mysteriously disappear once Vic becomes aware of them. One is gone before the movie even starts, and he's followed by Jacob Elordi, Brandan Miller, and Finn Wittrock.

Perhaps the biggest mystery here is in deciding who displays more charisma, Affleck in this role or the snails that his character Vic breeds. We've joked about actors sleepwalking through roles before, but there are scenes here where that may actually be happening. Affleck mostly just dead-eyes Melinda and her men, though we are supposed to interpret his lack of expression as a combination of anger, jealousy, and lust. Fortunately, we have Ana de Armas to liven things up. She's a full-grown party girl going through various stages of designer dress and un-dress. The supporting cast is comprised of Dash Mihok, Lil Rey Howery (who is in every movie these days), Kristen Connolly, Grace Jenkins as the smarter-than-parents kid to Vic and Melinda, and Tracy Letts as a curious novelist constantly side-eyeing Vic as research for a new book.

Is it cheesy? Yes. Is it sleazy? Yes. Despite twenty years of no movies, director Lyne delivers another high-gloss, play-pretend trashy erotic thriller that will fit perfectly in the streaming world. Affleck disappoints here after strong turns in THE TENDER BAR (2021) and THE WAY BACK (2020), and Ms. De Armas will next appear as Marilyn Monroe in BLONDE. Ben and Ana had their tabloid moment as a romantic couple after filming, but she is now the gone girl, and he has since reunited with JoLo. There are too many gaps in the story and characters for this to be considered a serious movie, but it's sure to be entertaining enough for many.

Premiers on HULU beginning March 18, 2022.

A tale of infidelity and its lethal consequences, "Deep Water", based on the novel by the equally interesting and unsettling Patricia Highsmith is a Decadent take on modern relationships. Ben Affleck reprises his "Gone Girl" role as the put upon husband who capitalizes the B on the beta male. Amid the torrent of pain and tension he resolves his dilemma in the only way his emasculated and hopeless state can. Slow going in a glacial, Euro non-American pace the dead spaces peppered throughout the film are alleviated by the decent acting and aura of heavy, sombre slight suspense as the gist of the plot is revealed halfway through. Ben Affleck is a natural as his washed-up alcoholic look puts the bathos in his character although like many films of his in recent times he looks like he's going through the motions. Perhaps it's time to quit acting or at least take a break. Ana de Armas is as usual nice eye candy but is miscast. She looks too nice to play the loose irresponsible inhabitant of a kennel to be convincing. The real star is the little girl who portrays the unhappy couple's daughter who provides most of the spunk and energy this sedate film has. The realist style used is what keeps the viewer glued from the conversations to the sex scenes the authenticity giving the flick a rawness and immediacy that makes up for the flaws. While no classic or standout this is one contemporary journey that takes one deep into the nature and state of modern society and the dehumanization of people in an age of isolation and indifference.

I'd have to say I couldn't wait for this to release. Both leads are great actors, and they delivered in this. The story started to have a few glaring holes in from about mid way, but the basic principle was sort of believable.

We decided st the end of the film that the child actor stole the show, she was hysterical, brilliant and I suspect a star in the making.

Make sure you watch past the ending very funny addition.