The Shipping News
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Canada
Movie Reviews of The Shipping News
Movie Review: Shipping News
Summary: 5 Stars
Incredible (as usual) performance by Kevin Spacey as the goofy but lovable dork Quoyle. I would highly recommend reading the book as well.Movie Review: The Shipping News
Summary: 5 Stars
A must for all fans of Judi Dench and Kevin Spacey. This is the first movie I have seen with them working together, and it is grand!Movie Review: Great movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Captures the sense of Newfoundland. Those who went to see this in the theater with me were awed.Movie Review: Sail away on a tide of romance, betrayal and dark secrets
Summary: 4 Stars
In Will and Ian Ferguson's underrated masterpiece "How To Be A Canadian," there is a chapter entitled "Art and Stuff," in which they discuss Canadian literature, and in doing so identified the following elements present in "The Shipping News": incest, female character as empowered victim, graphic but ironic use of violent imagery, healing (but only at the end). This I have found true in a number of Canadian bestsellers. So how does "The Shipping News" hold up as a film in view of these dark elements?First, practically none of the actors are from Newfoundland (with the exception of the fantastic Gorden Pinsent, frequently seen on "Due South"), which is evident in the mangled accents. It gains some respectability back by being filmed on location (between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia). And the soundtrack, with five contributions from Newfoundland's own Great Big Sea, is a rollicking collection of sea chanties smoothed with guitar, tin whistles and strings during the quieter moments. However, none of the Great Big Sea songs were featured on the soundtrack CD (minus twenty points!).
The story (I don't want to give too much away since the story is certainly...original) deals with R.G. Quoyle (Kevin Spacey) and his scatterbrained girlfriend Petal (Cate Blanchett). The two have a young daughter, Bunny, and after Petal's demise Quoyle and Bunny head to Newfoundland to move into their ancestral home, along with Agnis Hamm, Quoyle's aunt. The rest of the story deals (somewhat predictably) with fitting into the new community, reconciliation with the past, brushes with death and the strength of family in the face of adversity. Quoyle works on the local newspaper writing the shipping news, which he adds his own personal touch to. We meet his coworkers (Billy, Tert, Beaufield and Jack), the lovely Wavey (Julianne Moore) who runs the local daycare and her mentally challenged son Herry, who becomes Bunny's playmate (another question: who NAMED these people?!), and long lost relatives and dark family secrets. There is a bit of strong language, alcohol use, violence (including a murder), disturbing images (including rape of a minor), and a brief sex scene, which give the film its R rating. If you enjoy artsy films, beautiful scenery, an unusual yarn, or Celtic (and Newfie) music, "The Shipping News" may be for you.
Movie Review: "The Shipping News" is an enjoyable yarn full of...quirky.
Summary: 4 Stars
In Will and Ian Ferguson's underrated masterpiece "How To Be A Canadian," there is a chapter entitled "Art and Stuff," in which they discuss Canadian literature, and in doing so identified the following elements present in "The Shipping News": incest, female character as empowered victim, graphic but ironic use of violent imagery, healing (but only at the end). This I have found true in a number of Canadian bestsellers. So how does "The Shipping News" hold up as a film in view of these dark elements?First, practically none of the actors are from Newfoundland (with the exception of the fantastic Gorden Pinsent, frequently seen on "Due South"), which is evident in the mangled accents. It gains some respectability back by being filmed on location (between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia). And the soundtrack, with five contributions from Newfoundland's own Great Big Sea, is a rollicking collection of sea chanties smoothed with guitar, tin whistles and strings during the quieter moments. However, none of the Great Big Sea songs were featured on the soundtrack CD (minus twenty points!).
The story (I don't want to give too much away since the story is certainly...original) deals with R.G. Quoyle (Kevin Spacey) and his scatterbrained girlfriend Petal (Cate Blanchett). The two have a young daughter, Bunny, and after Petal's demise Quoyle and Bunny head to Newfoundland to move into their ancestral home, along with Agnis Hamm, Quoyle's aunt. The rest of the story deals (somewhat predictably) with fitting into the new community, reconciliation with the past, brushes with death and the strength of family in the face of adversity. Quoyle works on the local newspaper writing the shipping news, which he adds his own personal touch to. We meet his coworkers (Billy, Tert, Beaufield and Jack), the lovely Wavey (Julianne Moore) who runs the local daycare and her mentally challenged son Herry, who becomes Bunny's playmate (another question: who NAMED these people?!), and long lost relatives and dark family secrets. There is a bit of strong language, alcohol use, violence (including a murder), disturbing images (including rape of a minor), and a brief sex scene, which give the film its R rating. If you enjoy artsy films, beautiful scenery, an unusual yarn, or Celtic (and Newfy) music, "The Shipping News" may be for you.