Very creepy, based on true events.
Added 8/19/2009
I found Open Water, a film based on an actual American couple who were left at sea after a scuba-diving expedition, to be really well made and chilling. From some of the other reviews here, it appears that many people expected this to be an action film, with some intense man-on-shark killing action. Instead, the movie represents the slow descent into panic and fear expressed by the two main characters as they float endlessly in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sharks. This makes the story more believable. The film is quiet, the chills are real. I personally knew how the story would end, but that did not make it any less horrific or difficult to watch. Realizing that two ACTUAL PEOPLE most likely went through something very similar to the two main characters was horrifying. My only quibble with the film is the completely gratuitous nudity toward the beginning; it really, really wasn't needed.
The making of documentary included in the DVD is worth watching as well. You learn that there are no special effects; those are real sharks swimming around the real actors, not stunt doubles. The film was financed entirely by the husband and wife producing/directing team, and the love they had for this project really shone through. The actors gave some interesting commentary about what it was like to film in such a harsh environment.
If you like intense thrillers, Open Water is a movie you should most assuredly check out.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Water, Water Everywhere...
Added 8/7/2009
Ultra-busy couple, Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis) finally take a break from their hectic lives in order to go on a SCUBA vacation. The pair enjoy their diving opportunity, taking in the splendor of the deep. All is well, until the boat leaves without them, stranding them in the middle of the ocean! OPEN WATER reminds me (somewhat) of LONG WEEKEND, in that both movies involve bickering couples at the mercy of nature. LW is set in the remote forests of Australia w/ it's huge variety of dangerous wildlife. In OW, jellies and smaller fish give way to schools of sharks. The shark footage is very effective, while the vastness of the ocean adds an absolute sense of desolation and certain doom. A nice, low-budget thriller...
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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A SUPERB AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXPERIENCE 9.5 OUT OF 10
Added 6/14/2009
I generally dislike film critics, but this was one film I trusted the opinions of critics more than that of the moviegoers. I heard all kinds of rants and whining about how "It's the worst movie ever." "It's so boring." I'm really tired of people whose goals seem to be to trash indie films even if they're good, like this. Here's some advice for you if you're considering it. 1. Don't expect Jaws. Just because it has a shark fin on the cover doesn't mean it's about sharks. 2. This is not action-packed. It is dialogue-focused. 3. Don't expect a grand plot. The story is incredibly simple, but well-executed. 4. Don't watch this if you're easily bored, or you're going to piss and moan about how much you hate it.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: When Susan and Daniel go on vacation on a tropical island as part of Susan's job, they decide to go scuba diving. Everything's going fine, just exploring the ocean depths and observing the creatures beneath. But when the tour guide miscounts the total number of people who return, Susan and Daniel are left behind in the middle of the ocean. Now they must try and survive and wait for someone to come and rescue them. The story then focuses on how the couple's mental states slowly deteriorate; they argue, they yell, and they blame each other for being left behind. They also fear what lies beneath them as sharks start to gather around them; just waiting. The two must stay close or they may get separated by the waves.
MUSIC: There is practically none, which is a bit of a downer because it could have used it in some parts. The music that is there is strange, but fairly good.
ACTION: This is not action-focused, it is focused on dialogue almost exclusively. There are some attack scenes from the ocean wildlife though. This film is mostly trying to fill you with a sense of dread and keeping you on edge, waiting for what happens next. It achieves this with great success. That's what it succeeds at; atmosphere and tone.
ACTING: These actors were very believable and their performances are capable of out-shining Hollywood vets. They did give you the sense that they were afraid as well as other emotions which are achieved with great finesse. Bravo to these fantastic actors.
OVERALL: If you truly have taste in films, you will buy this sublime film. This is one of the best independent films ever made and is an underrated masterpiece that is destined to go down as a classic. Sorry moviegoers, but this time I discredit and condemn your opinions about this excellent film and go with the critics on this one. It was absolutely amazing.
THE GOOD: The simple, but well-executed storyline, the performances by the actors, the small bits of good music, and it does a fantastic job of making you guess and fear what comes next.
THE BAD: Slow in some parts and little music.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Great Flick
Added 5/18/2009
Don't compare this to Jaws and you won't be disappointed. The movie doesn't even attempt to be a Jaw's movie.
Divers Daniel and Susan are left adrift in the ocean after their diving charter captain miscounts his passengers and leaves them behind. Open Water is based on a true story.
Photography is fantastic. The underwater shots of those sharks are stunning and creepy. The camera and the actors capture the loneliness of being left adrift in the ocean.
It's a short film - about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
No, it won't make movie of the year, but it's a film worth seeing if you want tension and thrills without the gore.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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WORTH OWNING
Added 2/9/2009
This film gets featured at Sundance, a glowing review in The New Yorker, and two thumbs up from Ebert and Roper. So why it's overwhelmingly trashed on Amazon is a mystery. Open Water is an exceptionally well-done low-budget indie starring unknowns and real scary sea creatures. The creepy and unusual soundtrack is the perfect accompanyment.
What was intended to be a stress-relieving trip to the Caribbean quickly turns into a young couple's worst nightmare when their dive boat leaves them stranded in open water. I had recently returned from the Bahamas on an identical trip when I saw this film. There I learned this scenario of a dive boat taking off without someone, based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Lonergan, happens in real life more than you want to know, adding a horrifying layer of reality. The tourist industry does a good job of keeping this quiet. It's easy to see how the head count can be screwed up on a crowded boat of strangers, bodies in constant motion, in and out of gear and in and out of the water.
In his 2004 review of the film, "A Mystery Resurfaces," critic Daniel Foggo writes: "It is chillingly authentic; all the more so because the lead actors, the relatively unknown Blanchard Ryan and Daniel Travis, spent more than 120 hours in the water 50 kilometres off Barbados amid all kinds of sea life, including the real bull sharks and grey reef sharks used in the scenes. Wearing chain mail under their wetsuits, the actors bobbed in the water while shark experts and the filmmakers manipulated their co-stars' movements by throwing chunks of bloody tuna near them."
The incessant waves filmed at eye-level is exactly what it looks like in open water miles from shore, emphasizing how impossible it is to keep your head entirely above surface even in calm seas. It's hard to tell from a quick glance at a dorsal fin whether it is a dolphin or a shark coming at you. Just dangling there even for a short while can be unnerving when there are plenty of sharks around and something keeps brushing your legs. Yech. This couple is left to drift in the ocean all day and all night, and through a thunderstorm, sharks circling. The ending is poignant, unexpected, and memorable. Makes for truly terrifying entertainment.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Very creepy, based on true events.
Added 8/19/2009
I found Open Water, a film based on an actual American couple who were left at sea after a scuba-diving expedition, to be really well made and chilling. From some of the other reviews here, it appears that many people expected this to be an action film, with some intense man-on-shark killing action. Instead, the movie represents the slow descent into panic and fear expressed by the two main characters as they float endlessly in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by sharks. This makes the story more believable. The film is quiet, the chills are real. I personally knew how the story would end, but that did not make it any less horrific or difficult to watch. Realizing that two ACTUAL PEOPLE most likely went through something very similar to the two main characters was horrifying. My only quibble with the film is the completely gratuitous nudity toward the beginning; it really, really wasn't needed.
The making of documentary included in the DVD is worth watching as well. You learn that there are no special effects; those are real sharks swimming around the real actors, not stunt doubles. The film was financed entirely by the husband and wife producing/directing team, and the love they had for this project really shone through. The actors gave some interesting commentary about what it was like to film in such a harsh environment.
If you like intense thrillers, Open Water is a movie you should most assuredly check out.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Water, Water Everywhere...
Added 8/7/2009
Ultra-busy couple, Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis) finally take a break from their hectic lives in order to go on a SCUBA vacation. The pair enjoy their diving opportunity, taking in the splendor of the deep. All is well, until the boat leaves without them, stranding them in the middle of the ocean! OPEN WATER reminds me (somewhat) of LONG WEEKEND, in that both movies involve bickering couples at the mercy of nature. LW is set in the remote forests of Australia w/ it's huge variety of dangerous wildlife. In OW, jellies and smaller fish give way to schools of sharks. The shark footage is very effective, while the vastness of the ocean adds an absolute sense of desolation and certain doom. A nice, low-budget thriller...
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
A SUPERB AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXPERIENCE 9.5 OUT OF 10
Added 6/14/2009
I generally dislike film critics, but this was one film I trusted the opinions of critics more than that of the moviegoers. I heard all kinds of rants and whining about how "It's the worst movie ever." "It's so boring." I'm really tired of people whose goals seem to be to trash indie films even if they're good, like this. Here's some advice for you if you're considering it. 1. Don't expect Jaws. Just because it has a shark fin on the cover doesn't mean it's about sharks. 2. This is not action-packed. It is dialogue-focused. 3. Don't expect a grand plot. The story is incredibly simple, but well-executed. 4. Don't watch this if you're easily bored, or you're going to piss and moan about how much you hate it.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT: When Susan and Daniel go on vacation on a tropical island as part of Susan's job, they decide to go scuba diving. Everything's going fine, just exploring the ocean depths and observing the creatures beneath. But when the tour guide miscounts the total number of people who return, Susan and Daniel are left behind in the middle of the ocean. Now they must try and survive and wait for someone to come and rescue them. The story then focuses on how the couple's mental states slowly deteriorate; they argue, they yell, and they blame each other for being left behind. They also fear what lies beneath them as sharks start to gather around them; just waiting. The two must stay close or they may get separated by the waves.
MUSIC: There is practically none, which is a bit of a downer because it could have used it in some parts. The music that is there is strange, but fairly good.
ACTION: This is not action-focused, it is focused on dialogue almost exclusively. There are some attack scenes from the ocean wildlife though. This film is mostly trying to fill you with a sense of dread and keeping you on edge, waiting for what happens next. It achieves this with great success. That's what it succeeds at; atmosphere and tone.
ACTING: These actors were very believable and their performances are capable of out-shining Hollywood vets. They did give you the sense that they were afraid as well as other emotions which are achieved with great finesse. Bravo to these fantastic actors.
OVERALL: If you truly have taste in films, you will buy this sublime film. This is one of the best independent films ever made and is an underrated masterpiece that is destined to go down as a classic. Sorry moviegoers, but this time I discredit and condemn your opinions about this excellent film and go with the critics on this one. It was absolutely amazing.
THE GOOD: The simple, but well-executed storyline, the performances by the actors, the small bits of good music, and it does a fantastic job of making you guess and fear what comes next.
THE BAD: Slow in some parts and little music.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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