Amor Alucinante

I really enjoyed the performances in this film. Harvey Keitel again proves his tremendous range. Cameron Diaz is a very talented comedic actress and her makeup is very skillfully applied in this film. Billy Zane is again a third wheel (see Dead Calm and Titanic) but this time it's a comedy. The plot twists and turns are great fun to follow. 8/10.

The great thing about this film is that once the usual character-building stuff is out of the way, you will not move an inch and your eyes will only move if you have a widescreen television...

Sterling performances from both Harvey Keitell and Cameron Diaz really make this film come alive and as incident after incident fall upon the hapless couple, you feel yourself gripping the chair more and more, your nails getting smaller and smaller, and the enjoyment increasing and increasing.

All in all, Head Above Water is a great film, with good (if not at times, erratic) directing, and with superb acting.

The acting is pretty good, and seeing Harvey Keitel playing in a dark comedy was a pleasant surprise. What was not so pleasant was the plot. It starts out looking like another attempt to get rid of a dead body, like "Enid is Sleeping" or Drop Dead Sexy". What it winds up being is an overly complicated, convoluted black comedy, that is only marginally successful. Some of the plot contrivances are so unrealistic that they weaken the entire movie. Things like the postcard, a vodka bottle, and most of all a runaway chainsaw are nothing but ludicrous distractions. To top things off we get a completely unnecessary boat explosion as part of the astoundingly unbelievable conclusion. Very average at best. - MERK

Released in 1996, "Head above Water" is a black/romantic dramedy about a couple living on an island off the coast of Maine (Harvey Keitel and Cameron Diaz) and their grounds keeper (Craig Sheffer). A series of serious problems arise when the girl's ex-boyfriend visits while the guys are on a fishing trip (Billy Zane).

This is a generally entertaining farce highlighted by the beauty of both Diaz and the coastal locations. While the plot is simple you have to pay attention or you'll miss various twists where the viewer is led to believe one thing, which is then proved false by further information. I didn't pay attention too well the first time I viewed it and therefore discovered some enlightening elements on my second viewing.

BOTTOM LINE: "Head above Water" isn't bad at all, but it's not great either, although it has an interesting subtext (see below). At any rate, it's a must for Diaz fans (as well as Keitel and Sheffer) and those who love the Maine coast.

The film runs 96 minutes and was shot in Phippsburg, Maine.

GRADE: Borderline B-/C+

***SPOILER ALERT*** (Don't read further if you haven't seen the movie)

The subtext is obvious: Beautiful women equal death (think Metallica's DEATH MAGNETIC). In the movie Natalie is indirectly the cause of death of all the men, which include: the bad boy (Kent), the fatherly husband (George), her best friend from childhood who's always had a crush on her (Lance), and the policeman at the end seeking to save a damsel in distress.

Quick note for the norwegian readers. The film "Head above water is a remake of Mikkel Gaups' "Hodet over vannet". The original is much better. Also, don't leave the theatre at once, wait until after the credits :)