Sombras No Lago

There are some bad things in life. However I would rather attend 30 funerals and tell 25 children that their dog has just died than go through the sheer torture that this film was. The guy that plays the cop isn't too bad, but apart from that there are no, I repeat no redeeming features of this abominable film.

When the body of a man who's been missing for 14 years is discovered in a bay of Muskoka Lake, an Ontario Provincial Police officer (Graham Greene) tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together to discern what went down. Joy Tanner plays the daughter of the diseased.

"Shadow Lake" (1999) is a well-done crime drama with the superb setting of snowy Canada, focusing on a grand lodge that hails back to 1910. It's a made-for-TV Canadian production reminiscent of Andy Griffith's "Winter Kill" from 25 years earlier. Another comparison, in ways, is "The Legend of Wolf Lodge" (aka "Into the Fire"). This is arguably on par with the former, but way superior to the latter.

The backstory is convoluted and the clues to where such-and-such are located get eye-rolling, yet the flick works if you're in the mood for a murder mystery and appreciate the chilly lakeside milieu. Things that don't make sense are elucidated at the climax, along with effective surprises.

The quality cast is rounded out by: Gabriel Hogan as the renovator of the Inn; Frederic Forrest as the eccentric ex-sheriff; Shirley Douglas as the disillusioned mother of the daughter; Roberta Maxwell & Michael Hogan as the former owners of the hotel; and Mag Ruffman as genial local.

If you like movies like "The Chill Factor" and "A Simple Plan," you'll probably appreciate "Shadow Lake." One actor starts to ham it up, but that's the way his part was written, obviously inspired by "The Shining," just more lowkey.

It runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot in Bala, Ontario, which is a 2-hour drive north of Toronto. The hotel featured (as the Shadow Lake Inn) happens to be the Bala Bay Inn, which is still in business today.

GRADE: B.

The interesting title "Shadow Lake" might sound intriguing, but the story surrounding the discovery of a body beneath the frozen ice is less than the sum of it's parts. The acting is very spotty. Frederich Forrest is so over the top that he becomes nothing more than a damn annoyance. Joy Tanner in the lead gives a totally unbelievable performance, and not in a good way. Finally, the puzzle solving is so contrived, believability flies out the window, never to return. There really are only two reasons to watch this movie. First, Graham Greene is a terrific actor, and when he is on screen as the modest but wise police chief, the movie is in high gear. Second, Shirley Douglas is wonderful as Joy Tanner's bitter Mother. It's really a shame that these two performances are almost overcome by the inadequate script. - MERK

This is more a comment on the commenter than the movie. I'm wondering if xphhle 9 simply reads the information on IMDb and then takes a guess as to what the movie was about. Actually, the comments are about 60% correct, which is pretty good if you're just guessing, I guess. But there are enough factual errors in the comments to fill a relatively small encyclopedia...maybe a wikipedia. But, enough about xphile 9 Shadow Lake is especially good when it comes to coming up with a title. I like the Shadow Lake title so well that I watched the entire movie. It's an okay movie, relatively predictable, but if you're on dialysis and can't really get up and go anywhere, watching the movie isn't a total waste of time. So what if the acting is similar to Mrs. Gruver's kindergarten class play. I'm betting the parents of the actors in Shadow Lake enjoyed every minute of this movie...one so much, he jumped on stage and acted (poorly) with his son. If I had cable that only showed Lifetime movies and that shopping channel, I'd pick Shadow Lake every time. It was that good.

Shadow Lake (1999) is about the discovery of a long-missing body found in shadow Lake. However, there is a much greater secret and story hidden behind the body. Mag Ruffman who plays Louise Garby is the daughter who left town after her father went missing, and now that her fathers body has been discovered she comes back to figure out what occurred the fateful night of her fathers death. But, can she live long enough to find the truth?

I saw this movie for the first time about a year ago. My first impression as I started watching it was that it would be like all of TV Movies and be lame and boring. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was still "TV Acting" but the plot and storyline was nicely done and everything was nicely concluded in the end. I would recommend this movie to those who are looking for a pretty good movie. A good rainy night movie.

3 out of 5 stars