Abel Grey is sent to investigate the death of a boy from an exclusive local school, who is found floating in the river. Fearing scandal, the school insists it was suicide. But after discovering from the boy's girlfriend, Carlin, that he was being badly bullied, Abel suspects that a dangerous schoolboy initiation has gone horribly wrong and he secretly solicits the help of a sympathetic teacher, Betsy. He is warned off the investigation by his boss, as the school is a generous benefactor to the Police benevolent fund. Abel, however, cannot let the case go, not only because his own brother committed suicide years before, but also it seems that the spirit of the dead boy is leaving them clues as to what really happened that night.
Reviews
Powerful
The acting in this movie is really good.
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
A British/Canadian production based on a novel by Alice Hoffman, The River King is set during the depths of winter in a small American town dominated by a prestigious university, which funds most of the local economy. When a student is found dead in a frozen river by a uniformed patrolman (played by Edward Burns), he assumes a routine investigation will follow, to establish whether the boy's death was an accident, suicide or due to foul play. However, the university - fearful of a scandal and/or bad publicity - pressurises the local coroner and Burns' police colleagues into immediately declaring that it was suicide. Disquieted by events, Burns proceeds to unofficially investigate the student's death in his own time, and after finding himself confronted by a wall of silence, he starts receiving clues from an apparently supernatural source.The River King is simply a beautifully shot film, and boasts a wonderfully touching and insightful performance from Rachelle Lefevre as the dead student's best friend. The final revelation about what happened on the night the boy died is quietly devastating.
I really liked this and have no idea why it was never in theaters.Yes, you have to think a bit and pull together the story lines for added meaning. A few have remarked that the Jennifer Ehle character was unnecessary, but I don't agree, and I even liked the abruptness of the attraction between her character and Burns'.Their relationship and the thwarted relationship between the girl student and the hazing victim are meant to be contrasted. There is that old saying applied often to love, "Carpe diem -- seize the day." In other words, when love comes calling, don't rationalize it away.The young couple did (at least, she did), and the older couple almost does too.The ambiguous ending of the movie leave the viewer with plenty to think about. I wonder, for instance, why the victim hyperventilated for so long before jumping in the river. I took it to mean he did not intend to drown, but perhaps to do something Houdini-like instead. I also loved the look of it, like a beat-up town in Maine whose entire tax base is a snooty school that has no use for the town except to cover up for it when things go wrong.Yeah, I just liked it.
"The river king" is not particularly original,but it creates an atmosphere with its snowy landscapes and its frozen rivers.The entire town seems to be wrapped in mystery and to be the center of a huge conspiracy which would involve some grown-ups too:the science teacher's words sometimes recall some of "the skulls" ideology,as they deny any individualism.The movie would have been much better,had the writers concentrated on Gus's personality.The audience needs to know more about the unfortunate student .Too much time is given over to the love affair between the detective and the lit teacher (we know since "dead poets society " that only lit teachers are nice teachers).And haven't we had enough of these "stories in the story" of the cop's youth ,a trick which has been used a hundred times or more?
Abel (Edward Burns) is a policeman in a small city in Nova Scotia. The main business of the town is a posh and well-respected private secondary school. One day, the body of a young male student is found floating on the neighboring river, under a thin sheet of winter ice. It appears to be a suicide but Abel is unconvinced and orders more forensic tests. Yet, even with some new and startling information from the crime lab, the police chief informs Abel that the death is to be labeled a suicide and the investigation will be closed. Having lost his brother to suicide, Abel feels compelled to dig further, bringing him in contact with an attractive female teacher (Jennifer Ehle) and her stuffy fiancé. Abel also quietly interviews students who knew the deceased young man, although it becomes apparent that the pupil was a loner and had only one true friend. Will Abel discover the truth of the young man's death? This film is a good watch, combining mystery, psychology, and intriguing characters with ease. Burns gives a very fine performance as the police officer in question, while Ehle does an equally nice job as a free-spirited instructor and romantic interest. All of the actors playing the young students are quite compelling and the film's costuming and production values are great, also. As for the snowy setting, the Nova Scotia scenery is bleakly lovely and unusual, making it a good choice for those who love beautiful cinematography. If you are a Burns fan, you must see this film, as his arresting looks and quietly thoughtful performance are the heart and soul of the movie. But, even if you just love mystery plots and out-of-the-ordinary venues, you will find The River King to be quite a good piece of work.
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