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the deep end " uses a color palette of rich earth tones surrounded by a vast array of blues .
alluring , attractive blues , but also icy and foreboding .
after taking in their beauty , the eye seeks out the reassuring browns and greens , like a tired swimmer searching for the safety of land .
the production works that way as well ?
it pulls you in initially as a crisp , thoroughly - modern thriller , with clipped exchanges between defiantly non - communicative characters .
but the real draw of the film is the submerged humanity of two key players as " the deep end " gradually reveals the melodramatic core beneath its ironic candy coating .
spoiler alert
: the following reveals the basic storyline .
i believe the plot points are incidental , because the real rewards come in exploring the mindset of the main characters , but still , you should proceed at your own risk .
with her husband tom , a naval officer , often away at sea , margaret hall ( tilda swinton ) holds down the fort , taking care of the children , beau ( jonathan tucker ) , paige ( tamara hope ) , and dylan ( jordon dorrance ) , while her father - in - law jack ( peter donat ) hovers in the background , always watching .
the story opens with margaret leaving the family home in lake tahoe to storm a male strip club in reno .
it seems that beau , her eldest , is having an affair with darby reese ( josh lucas ) , a disreputable sort 12 years
his senior . margaret demands that darby leave her son alone , only to have the man smirk at her and announce he 'll be glad to steer clear of beau ? for $ 5000 .
back at home , she tries to talk about it all with her son , but the kid wo n't even confirm that he 's gay , let alone discuss the issues she has with his boyfriend .
he does , however , get attentive when she reveals darby 's $ 5 , 000 offer , even as he maintains his sullen demeanor .
late in the evening , darby shows up outside , tossing pebbles at beau 's window like a schoolchild .
the two meet by the water at the boathouse , where something important happens .
i wo n't reveal what ; suffice to say we become aware of a significant fact that margaret does not .
all of this happens in the first few minutes of the movie , by the way .
within a day or so , margaret 's life becomes even more complicated when a suave man named alec goran visnjic ) turns up with an explicit videotape documenting the sex life of beau and darby .
he and his associate are willing to destroy the tape ,
once margaret coughs up $ 50 , 000 .
oh , what 's a mother to do ?
end spoilers written , directed and produced by scott mcgehee and david siegel ( " suture " ) , " the deep end " is based on elisabeth sanxay holding 's 1940 's novel , " the blank wall , " which was also the source of the 1949 film , " the reckless moment .
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i 've neither read the book nor seen the movie , but i understand that the filmmakers changed some details .
in holding 's story , the " scandalous " relationship is between an older man and margaret 's teen - age daughter .
switching the gender makes the tale seem more contemporary , and it also raises questions about margaret 's motives .
many reviews of " the deep end " describe margaret as a mother ferociously protecting her son , but i wonder .
consider this : margaret lives in a meticulously kept upscale home .
her husband is absent most of the time and seems to be regarded as a larger - than - life figure .
her father - in - law is constantly present , almost as if he is monitoring for his son .
and when her husband does call , margaret is careful not to tell him about anything disturbing that is going on with the family .
so is margaret a mother who accepts her son 's sexual orientation and is simply trying to shield the young man from a lover she fears will take advantage of him ?
or is she caretaker of a museum of upper middle class complacency , desperate to maintain the status quo so that everything will be postcard perfect when the old man returns from the sea ?
you sort it out .
regardless , the resonance of " the deep end " comes from two actors .
goran visnjic , best known from the tv drama " er , " is striking as a blackmailer unlike any you 've seen before .
he engages margaret in a mesmerizing dance of protocol , chivalry and simmering eroticism .
but the star of this show , without a doubt , is the remarkable tilda swinton .
watch the shadings , depth , resource , vitality and understated sexuality she gives margaret and try to imagine the film without her .
days after my second viewing of " the deep end , " i can still vividly picture her negotiating with villains , trying to connect with her son and diving into icy blue water .
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the deep end " is an exceptional film and tilda swinton is the best part of it .
an exceptional film striking as a blackmailer unlike any you 've seen before the best part of it the star of this show , without a doubt , is the remarkable