🍿33: Deep Water

This week, the SP Oscar predictions, a feature review of Deep Water and the untold rift between Frodo and Legolas.

Mar 24, 2022

“No matter what you do, no matter how awful, no-one ever thinks that they're a bad person.”
~ The Talented Mr. Ripley Family, 1999

And the award goes to…

I’m almost ashamed to say that I’ve missed more than a few of this year’s Oscar nominees. Films like Power of the Dog, King Richard and The Tragedy of Macbeth came and went so fast I haven’t yet had a chance to see them alongside the SP schedule.

Of the nominated films I have seen, either for SP (Flee, Nightmare Alley, Don’t Look Up) or for fun (Licorice Pizza, Dune, The Lost Daughter), there’s only a handful that I think deserve an award.

Regardless, the Oscars can be quite a political affair and some winners are easy to spot. While keeping all that in mind, here are my half-cooked predictions for the 94th Academy Awards:

Best Picture:
- The Power of the Dog - though King Richard feels like it could take the win, partly because it portrays a real-life black family successfully following the American dream.
Best Actress:
- Jessica Chastain (Eyes of Tammy Faye) but Kristen Stewart (Spencer) might surprise us.
Best Actor:
- Everyone is betting on Benedict Cumberbatch (Power of the Dog), but I think it could be a toss between Dezel Washington (Macbeth) and Andrew Garfield (tick, tick… BOOM!)
Best Animation:
- Flee - I really hope I’m right here, though pundits are placing their bets on Encanto.
Best Original Screenplay:
- Belfast, though The Worst Person in the World (to be featured in the next issue of SP) is being applauded by critics… but Hollywood isn’t known for its love of international cinema.

Who do you think is going to win? Let me know in the comments.

Upcoming Releases

Where The Crawdads Sing

UK: 22 July // USA: 15 July

Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) stars in the upcoming cinema adaptation of the international best-selling book by Delia Owens. Where The Crawdads Sing follows Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina.

Men

UK: 20 May // USA: 20 May

A young woman (Jessie Buckley) goes on a solo holiday in the English countryside following the death of her ex-husband. Although Men appeared in SP# 30, there haven’t been many new trailers in the last week and this latest trailer is more chilling than the first.

Fact of the week

Can you guess how many words are spoken between Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, which totals approximately 9.5 hours of screentime?…

The answer is, just three. And here they are:

Many thanks to subscriber Tommy P for inadvertently submitting this LOTR gem. If you enjoyed this, you might also like how YouTube Channel Cult Popture pointed out that Frodo doesn’t even remember Legolas’ name at the end of the film.

Review: Deep Water

Star rating:

3 (out of 5)

Where to watch:

USA: Hulu

UK: Amazon Prime

Runtime:

1hr 55m

Director:

Adrian Lyne

Blurb:

Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck star in this thriller based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Vic (Affleck) becomes the primary suspect among gossipers when his wife’s lovers start disappearing.

The review (NO spoilers):

In the latest film adaptation of a Patricia Highsmith novel, who also gave us The Talented Mr Ripley and Strangers on a Train, Adrian Lyne’s Deep Water has all the key ingredients of a Highsmith scandal: mind games, deceit and murder.

Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck (who were dating during the production of this film) play their parts of Melinda and Vic with an intensity that’s not found anywhere else in the film. Armas seems to embody provocation with her countless seductions, whereas Affleck’s Vic is so worn down by trying to keep up with her that he becomes devoid of passion.

While our stars’ performances are what helps keep the film interesting, at times it does feel like nothing happens outside of the games they play with each other. The other characters have a very minor contribution to the overall plot, despite there being plenty of them.

Did I enjoy Deep Water? Yes, mildly. For a two hour film where not a whole lot happens, it didn’t drag. Though as a fan of Highsmith’s work (The Talented Mr Ripley is among my favourite books and films) I was hoping for more.

Scroll down for The Critic’s Cut and to see what’s in the next issue.

If you liked Deep Water…

Gone Girl

2014 | UK: Netflix // US: Amazon Prime ($3.99)

Fancy watching another film about a toxic marriage and a shady Ben Affleck? Look no further than Gone Girl. I’ve not actually seen the film, but I’ve read the book and while everyone says the film isn’t as good as the book, it might be better than Deep Water.

In the next issue:

The Worst Person in the World

UK: 25 March // USA: 4 February | Watch the Trailer

The Critic’s Cut 🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨:

Unfortunately for Deep Water, the film was let down most by its third act and meagre resolution - particularly the drawn-out car/bicycle chase that takes place after Vic (Affleck) is caught by Lionel (Tracy Letts) trying to cover up the body of one of his wife’s now deceased lovers.

The chase scene alone was ridiculous in a number of ways that cost the film its integrity. How exactly did Vic manage to pedal hard enough to keep up with a speeding car? And what compelled Lionel to text his wife “I was right” while driving, at speed, down a dirt road…

Sadly, it’s these questions that stick in my mind when I think of Deep Water, though I doubt the film will be remembered at all by many.

Salty Popcorn

Discussion about this post