The Weight of Water (2003)

Melodramatic Tension

Photographer Jean Janes (Catherine McCormack) and her husband Thomas (Sean Penn) set out for a small island off New Hampshire coast so Jean can gather photos to go with a story being done by the magazine where she works. Jean and Thomas are to meet up with Thomas' handsome brother Rich (Josh Lucas) who will sail them around the island aboard a yacht.

Jean and Thomas are surprised to see that Rich has brought along his stunning new girlfriend Adaline (Elizabeth Hurley).

It quickly becomes clear that there's little holding Jean and Thomas together other than their daughter who is at home with her grandmother. Thomas is a sullen, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who has gone dry and feels inadequate. He's envious of his brother's good looks and good fortune, and quite smitten with Adeline.

None of this escapes the notice of Jean despite the fact that she is hot on the trail of unraveling a double murder that took place on Smuttynose Island about 130 years earlier. In the murder case, two Norwegian immigrants, sisters-in-law Karen (Katrin Cartlidge) and Anethe (Vinessa Shaw), were bludgeoned to death while Karen's sister Maren (Sarah Polley) escapes and tells the story that leads to the conviction of Wagner (Ciarán Hinds) who had previously rented a room in the house and had made sexual advances on all three women.

The contemporary story and the 1870s story unravel simultaneously as Jean investigates the murders and feels powerful energy telling her the real tale.

In truth, the two stories could have been interesting enough standing alone and by the last third of The Weight of Water the stories became so twisted together that it was difficult to parse each story individually.

While I didn't particularly dislike this film, I wish I could have liked it more. The ethereal filming techniques tended to be a bit heavy handed but the film direction while aboard the yacht in a fierce storm was thrilling. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, and brief language.