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MOVIES / ON DVD / THE WEIGHT OF WATER
The Weight of Water

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The Weight of Water (2002)

32%
38%
42%
N/A
N/A
N/A
32 %
Reviews Counted: 62 Fresh: 20  Rotten:42 Average Rating: 5.1/10
 
Consensus: The story is too muddled to build any interest.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

Theatrical Release: Nov 1, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: Two stories unravel simultaneously in this dark and suspenseful film. The first story, set in the present day, concerns a photographer, Jean (Catherine McCormack). She is working on an article for a magazine about a pair of bloody murders that happened 200 years before on the Isle of Shoals,... Two stories unravel simultaneously in this dark and suspenseful film. The first story, set in the present day, concerns a photographer, Jean (Catherine McCormack). She is working on an article for a magazine about a pair of bloody murders that happened 200 years before on the Isle of Shoals, just off the coast of New Hampshire. To get the pictures she needs she must visit the location of the murders, and so her husband, Thomas (Sean Penn), arranges a yachting trip with his brother, Rich (Josh Lucas), and Rich's girlfriend, Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley). The foursome pal around, enjoying the sea and the sun, while Adaline shamelessly seduces Thomas. Meanwhile, Jean is reliving the Isle of Shoals murders in her head, which is where the second story comes in. Maren (Sarah Polley) is a Norwegian woman who has recently immigrated to America with her husband. When her sister (Katrin Cartlidge) and sister-in-law (Vinessa Shaw) are brutally bludgeoned to death with an axe, she is the sole survivor, and thus the only one who knows the truth about what happened. THE WEIGHT OF WATER draws a parallel between these two tense episodes, as the surf swirls menacingly, foretelling imminent disaster. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, Sarah Polley, Anders W. Berthelsen

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Janet Yang, Joni Sighvatsson, A. Kitman Ho
Screenwriter: Alice Arlen, Christopher Kyle
Composer: David Hirschfelder

DVD Info

Release:

Mar 4, 2003

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailer

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selection

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image
B-

Artistically speaking, Bigelow's drama may be her most ambitous and personal film to date, a multi-layered (period and contemporary) psychological thriller that borrows from Bergman's masterpiece Persona; commercially, however, it's problematic.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/20/06
Emanuel Levy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
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Ratings Image
1/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/10

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
10/07/04
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com
Ratings Image
3/5

Nem as ótimas performances de Sarah Polley e Sean Penn conseguem conferir energia a este filme, cujas histórias desenvolvidas paralelamente se anulam de forma implacável.

comment Comment
11/12/03
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
09/17/03
Glenn Kenny
Premiere Magazine
Ratings Image
2/4

The film might appeal to those who've already read the book, but it's unlikely those who haven't will find much of anything to enjoy here.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/01/03
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Ratings Image
C-

It doesn't surprise me that this film sat for two years in storage before released, as the final version appeared clunky.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/17/03
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ratings Image
2/4

Bigelow offers some flashy twists and turns that occasionally fortify this turgid fable. But for the most part, The Weight of Water comes off as a two-way time-switching myopic mystery that stalls in its lackluster gear of emotional blandness.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/02/03
Frank Ochieng
TheWorldJournal.com
Ratings Image
2/5

Despite an impressive roster of stars and direction from Kathryn Bigelow, The Weight of Water is oppressively heavy.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/26/03
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
01/08/03
Bill Gallo
Dallas Observer
Ratings Image
2.5/4

The superior plotline isn't quite enough to drag along the dead (water) weight of the other.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/02/03
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
Ratings Image
C

Elegantly crafted but emotionally cold, a puzzle whose intricate construction one can admire but is difficult to connect with on any deeper level.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/02
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
Ratings Image
C+

The jarring jumps between disconnected stories and watered-down sensationalism make for a soggy experience.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/19/02
Gary Dowell
Dallas Morning News
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Ratings Image
2/4

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/16/02
Susan Stark
Detroit News
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Ratings Image
2/4

The Weight of Water uses water as a metaphor for subconscious desire, but this leaky script barely stays afloat.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/02
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

[Two] fairly dull -- contrasting and interlocking stories about miserable Scandinavian settlers in 18th-century Canada, and yuppie sailboaters in the here and now.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/02
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News
Ratings Image
A-

There are a few wrong notes, and the ending is too enigmatic for its own good, but for a studio production the film is uncommonly intelligent and uncompromising.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/02
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
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Ratings Image
7/10

Sarah Polley deserves some kind of recognition for her role in this film.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/02
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium
Ratings Image
1/5

None of the characters or plot-lines are fleshed-out enough to build any interest.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/08/02
Ross Williams
Film Threat
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