The Deep End (15)

INSPIRED by the novel The Blank Wall, written by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding in the 1940s, The Deep End is the type of tightly wrapped psychological thriller which harks back to the golden age of cinema that is to say, it is intelligent, smart and impeccably played.

Directed by Scott MeGehee and David Siegel and starring the sublime Tilda Swinton and ER's Goran Visjnic, The Deep End opened to glowing reviews in the US during a summer filled with disappointing blockbusters and it is easy to see why.

While certainly not action packed, the film is an intricately plotted, character-driven piece which ultimately delivers a heartfelt conclusion a million miles away from the sugar-coated excesses of most mainstream fare.

The plot poses the question of how far a mother will go to protect her children. Swinton is the mother in question, a minder of three whose husband is serving in the Navy and, hence, away and virtually out of contact.

When she discovers the dead body of her son's shady gay lover within the grounds of her home, Swinton's Margaret Hall wrongly assumes that her son is responsible and sets about disposing of the evidence.

But it isn't long before she finds herself being blackmailed by two get-rich-quick opportunists (fronted by Visjnic's quiet, almost melancholic loner), who are far more concerned at exposing her son's embarrassing sexuality than blaming him for the 'murder'. But as Swinton struggles to come up with the money, Visjnic begins to take pity on her, forming an unlikely friendship and eventually falling in love with her, all the time aware of the danger posed by his sadistic partner.

It is the resolution of this blackmail and subsequent moral dilemma which forms the remainder of the movie and I shall reveal no more, suffice to say that this is not your typical Hollywood package.

Visjnic's relationship with Swinton is wonderfully under-played, while we can only guess at his reasons for helping.

If the pacing is a little too tedious for some people, others will simply marvel at the many twists in the story and the quality of its performances. Visjnic is great value as the mixed-up blackmailer, while Swinton, quite simply, is a revelation at times gutsy, at others vulnerable, but always remaining true to her maternal instincts. Splash out on a ticket quickly.