The Sea (2002)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Disappointment for a huge fan!

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Though the setting is Icelandic, the themes of this familial drama are universal. An aging fishing mogul invites his estranged children home and all hell breaks loose as dark family secrets are revealed and the future of the family and community at large is decided. While there is something to despise in every character (except for perhaps the French girlfriend of the youngest son trapped in the fray) the viewer is left feeling sympathy for almost everyone when all the family feels in the end is apathy for each other. The director seems to be saying that may be the greatest tragedy of all. Dark humor and small glimmers of hope (some family members escape to new lives abroad and the community seems to survive the meltdown and trudges forward) keep the film from becoming too depressing. A beautiful music score and some nice cinematography highlight the often bleak Icelandic landscape. Great direction and powerhouse performances from the international cast help the film soar to operatic heights. A must see for any fan of familial dramas.Also recommended: "Angels and Insects" and "American Beauty."

This has to be someone's nightmare version of a family reunion. What an ugly, repulsive bunch of human beings - and it's all daddy's fault!!! While I give credit to the actors, this just isn't my idea of entertainment. I'm a big DALLAS fan so I can certainly enjoy a classic dysfunctional family setting, but this was just sordid and nasty. I felt queasy at the end and was glad it was over. I also feel the beauty of Iceland was fleeting at best - instead we see the suffocating house scenes, the inside of the fishery, and the local pub with assorted barflies acting like barflies everywhere. And did I mention the bored sullen spoiled teenagers - apparently a universal affliction wherever you may go. These people are what remains of the mighty Viking race - Thor should put them all out of their misery with his mighty hammer!

I think this is an excellent movie. If it was released in an English-spoken version it would probably have been a great success. I think this movie was never released in the Netherlands. Luckily it's now available on DVD. The movie is mainly Icelandic-spoken; some parts in English and French. The only problem I have with this movie is that it's hard to like any of the characters in this movie. They are all anti-social, selfish and cruel. I hope this movie is not an accurate portrayal of Icelandic social life. The only human person Françoise is from France (is there a message here?), played excellently by Hélène de Fougerolles. But her character is annoyingly passive at the crucial points at the end of the story; I found this not very convincing because at the start of the movie she's showing a lot of initiative.

This film has been made before,its about a family reunion. With all the hidden emotions, frustations and dark secretsthat are revieled. But the most interesting aspect is the location. A small fisher village in Iceland it give us an idea howpeople survive, or not it a cold dark place. If this is real life it is not surprising that everybodyhas a secret in the film. At the end the everybodeis aims is to take the money and run away from everyone and anything. Even the sheep in the film tries to escape.