Water short, sweet and dripping with tension

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Open Water is a tightly wound thriller packed neatly into a 79-minute package by writer/director Chris Kentis. Working with a simple premise that is based on a true story, Kentis has created a film that effectively captures the dread and despair of the two lead actors.

Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis play Susan and Daniel, a couple who take a last-minute vacation to a tropical island resort, looking to get away from their hectic everyday life.

The vacation proves to be even more hectic. While on the island, they decide to go scuba diving but are left behind and stranded in the middle of the ocean. As the hours pass, the couples mood and hopes of rescue begin to sour as they slowly drift through the shark-infested waters.

I was skeptical about a film that primarily takes place with two characters stranded in the middle of the ocean, but Kentis pulls it off. Part of the films tension comes from the potential threat of sharks, but Kentis provides Open Water with plenty of other stressful moments.

Some of the best moments come when Susan and Daniel take out their desperation on each other, and the films final scene is simple, yet effective. Kentis builds a steady tension between the couple. Establishing the stress even before the couple hits the water, he builds up to an appropriate crescendo that makes the finale of Open Water that much more effective.

The performances by Ryan and Travis are both solid, and good enough to make you care about the characters fates a trait that is critical to the success of such a film.

They give the film depth, making it more than just a thriller. In the end, Open Water proves to be an interesting character study of two people clinging desperately to hope, even if it seems to be fading with each passing minute.

Dollar dandy of the week

This weeks dollar dandy is Shrek 2 (B+), a sequel that doesnt quite match the elite status of its predecessor but is still an entertaining and satisfying film.

Shrek 2 picks up with Shrek and Princess Fiona returning from their honeymoon and heading to the kingdom of Far, Far Away to meet Fionas parents. Once they arrive, Shrek and the King are immediately at odds, mainly because the King had a deal with the Fairy God Mother to have Fiona marry her son, Prince Charming.

Part of the magic of the original Shrek was its wonderful cast; thankfully, everyone returns. Eddie Murphy gets more laughs here as the trusty sidekick Donkey than he has in the six live-action films he has made between Shrek projects.

There is a nice injection of new blood in the sequel, too. The best of the newcomers is Antonio Banderas, as the ogre-slaying feline Puss in Boots.

The movie isnt without its flaws. Some of its early musical montages should have been ditched, leaving more time to revisiting favorite characters like the Gingerbread Man and Pinocchio. But thats a minor gripe, because Shrek 2 delivers the goods and leaves you wanting more.

Shrek 2 opens Friday at the Plaza 6, where all movies are $1.

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