THE DEEP END

2001

Last week at the Boston Film Festival, I saw a movie about the dumbest dentist on screen this year ("Novocaine.") "The Deep End" is a perfect companion-piece to that film, in that it portrays the dumbest MOTHER on screen this year! Tilda Swinton, in a fine acting job, portrays the overprotective mother of a teen-age son, who she suspects has been involved in a crime of passion. In order to protect him, she sets in motion one of the most ridiculous and improbable plots that I've seen on screen all year. Not a minute of it is believable. As I said before, Tilda Swinton does a fine job of portraying this woman, but what good is a fine acting job in the service of a stupid plot? I can't tell you how many times I said to myself (I think,) "Jesus lady, that's SO dumb!" I wouldn't even waste my time renting this one, unless you must see some picturesque scenery in Lake Tahoe and Reno.

1 Star

NJB