Watermark

This is the best film I have been to in ages. It is a story of a guy who can't put into words what he has seen. It's sort of a thriller and a mystery rolled into one. At its core is a story that deals with an issue that is very rarely discussed. The central character is deeply tormented by what he has witnessed, but the director very cleverly conceals the mystery until the end.

The visuals are amazing and the soundtrack deeply haunting. You are on the edge of your seat for the entire film and that is true cinema. What struck me was that the film was an interesting unfolding of the drama that was very careful not to give away too much at the beginning. Essentially the two women leads really carry the entire film. Both never appear in a scene together and yet both characters have a profound effect on one another in a way that neither fully understands. It's a very clever film and the director excels at telling this very complex story.

The advertising looked good - the fact that it had gone and done great things at Cannes (it was a Directors Choice presentation) was very positive but I have never been so disappointed in a film in all my life!!

Despite the hype, it wasn't moody and to call it reminiscent of Jane Campion films is an insult to Ms Campion. It was pretentious tripe. The dialogue was appalling, the characters unbelievable and the delineation between past and present at times was very hard to determine (making the understanding of the film even more difficult).

The only reason I gave a rating of 1 is for the music, which really was its only redeeming factor.

A complete waste of and hour and 20 minutes!

The cast of Watermark all deliver great performances. In a film with little dialogue, it's exciting to see a group of actors bringing such depth to their performances. Jai Koutrae, being present in almost every scene, exudes emotion. Watermark is just amazing for its really strong performances. In an interview, the cast said they worked a lot with the director in rehearsals on the methods of unspoken communication and you can see the results in the finished film. Another aspect of the film that sets it apart is the way in which the characters' emotions are drawn out through the visual imagery. It's rare to achieve such heights in feeling without recourse to the spoken word. The water almost becomes another silent but powerful character in the film. It envelops the characters.

I think WATERMARK is so interesting. It reminds me of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK-it's so weird and a genuinely frightening film. It's a film that causes so much discussion. I can see why it had a debut at Cannes-and it also had only 5 crew!!! It is so unlike your average Australian film-it's worth going along for the ride

Watermark attracted attention when it was selected for the Directors' Fortnight at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It's the first feature for writer and co-scriptwriter Georgina Willis who, with producer and co-scriptwriter Kerry Rock, then self-released the film in Australia.

Watermark follows Jim (Jai Koutrae) and his relationship with two different women in two different eras: the 1970s and now. Much of the film is silent and explores the relationships the three have with water and each other.

Georgina Willis' background is in visual arts, which goes towards explaining her prodigious talent at visual storytelling. Shots are framed from interesting angles (stairwells for example), giving the audience voyeuristic insight into the characters. And the dreamlike infusion of water, the beach and sea into the story adds sensuality and a mythic quality to the film. It also emphasises Watermark's 'Australianness' without jingoism.

Although not a conventional thriller, there's a twist towards the end of the film, which is built upon by Allyson Newman's suspenseful soundtrack. While occasionally intrusive, the music is also appropriate and reflects elemental influences – water and the unconscious mind.

It's a shame, then, that when the actors speak, they destroy the mood Willis has worked so hard to create. With the exception of some of the 1970s sequences, the cast manage to be simultaneously flat, hysterical and unconvincing in conversation – whereas, when silent, their performances are profound. It's not their fault – Willis needs to manage her actors better. Thankfully, the most irritating scenes appear early in the film, so that the last half can wash over you. **½/***** stars.