Maelström

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.

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.

I was rather excited to watch this film, and the first hour or so did not disappoint. It reminded me a lot of Kieslowski's Blue, and also a little bit of Red, in the character interaction, the cinematography, the use of colors, and just the overall mood. However, I thought that the last half went downhill. It suddenly switched from a journey into depression and internal conflicts to a cliched, improbable love story, almost as if the ending had been tacked on. The emotions of the main characters in the end shift too dramatically, and it seems as though no healing or reconciliation takes place (although apparently some does). The very ending, with the last words of the fish were too out of context, and I swear that they were borrowed directly from some other source. Perhaps my least favorite part of the entire movie comes at the ending on the boat, only because the song being played does not fit the mood at all, and changed my outlook entirely. All in all though, a feature worth watching, if only for the first half alone.

Excellent first major independent feature from Villeneuve and it demonstrates real, intelligent, talent. The lead actress, Marie-Josée Croze, is perfect in her role, I wouldn't want it any other way. This is one of those films I wish I could have been creatively involved in in any way because just being a part of it is a special thing. It's a special indie film from the grand year 2000. This is a film for serious viewers with deeper interests in film. I wouldn't recommend to someone just because they say they love Villeneuve's Prisoners. I would recommend it to someone who is really into 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.