Wow! Such a good movie.

the audience applauded

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Denis Villeneuve's sophomore effort may not be as rewarding as his later features and is unrefined in many aspects too but it is a bizarre piece of work that tackles the themes of guilt, grief, regret & atonement in its own wicked manner but what makes it worthy of a sit is the brilliant performance from its leading lady.Maelström tells the story of a young, depressed & alcoholic woman who is having a hard time living up to the expectations of being a celeb's daughter. Yet to recover from an unexpected pregnancy that led her to have an abortion, she finds herself in another mess after being involved in a hit-n- run accident while drunk driving.Written & directed by Denis Villeneuve, the story is narrated by a fish awaiting decapitation on a butcher's block and that opening moment when the fish starts talking nearly made me turn it off because what the f*ck. Fishes do play a symbolic role here but Villeneuve could've done without the voice-over because it adds nothing to the plot.The director's attempts to make it funny hits the right spot only on few occasions while falling flat other times. How the story unfolds carries an experimental feel and camera is finely utilised from start to finish. Other than the protagonist, there aren't any interesting characters in it but Marie- Josée Croze plays her part sincerely and her performance is this film's highlight.On an overall scale, Maelström inclines a little more towards the art-house section but it has plenty of moments that will keep the mainstream viewers around as well. Humour makes its presence felt in the most unexpected moments here but few creative choices don't go well with its overall tone. An early effort from the then-budding filmmaker trying to carve his own distinct style, Maelström is frustrating at times but it may still amuse some.

This is a somewhat 'arthouse' film with lots of symbolic metaphors intertwined into the story. The story itself is not bad, it is focused around one main character and manages to sustain the interest of the viewer through some clever turns. The filming, the imagery, are extremely well done at times, managing to convey perfectly a sense of isolation/dissociation. The drawbacks are certain extended scenes, romantic interludes that begin to feel a bit slow, a bit quiet. Some scenes could have been put, like the fish in this movie, on the chopping block. Still other scenes seem a little too fabricated/coincidental. Overall, this is a minor success, compelling and dramatic, interesting and original. No earth shattering epiphanies here, but still a solid tale done up in many colours.

The film opens with an apology to all Norwegians affirming that the film is based on imagination. If you dislike fish, you had best not watch this film for it is decidedly fishy from beginning to end. Indeed even the narration is given by a North Atlantic fish about to have his head lopped off in a fish processing factory. Not a pretty sight (quite ugly in fact) with the fish and the process worker all covered in blood.I never dreamed that a fish would have a philosophic outlook on life and anxious to deliver prophecies such as "He who kills shall be killed" . Yes this is certainly an imaginative film...rather nightmarish in fact with its scenes of hallucinations and gore. Whatever next, you may ask. Let it be said, this film is never dull.Misfortune they say never comes singly as Bibiane ( Marie-Josee Croze) soon discovers. In the depths of despair through most of the film, she finally falls in love with the son of the fisherman she accidentally kills. This is a strange turn of events. But then there are many surprises in this film. For example, would you dare ask a stranger at a railway station what you should do if you killed some one accidentally and no one else knew about it? Hardly. But there is an interesting twist to this later in the film. Indeed the film is all twists and turns and convolutions together with lots of fish and fishy smells and water everywhere. But after all this is a story taking place in Norway.If imagination is a measure of quality, this film is it! Highly commended.

I saw this film at Sundance and it was the best film I saw there by far.Marie-Josée Croze is a French-speaking long-lost sexy little sister of Maura Tierney (for all you casting directors out there). The first scene of the movie is likely to shock 95% of viewers, but if they can get past it this twisted caper is not only worth seeing at the theater/theatre/cinema, but a good candidate for DVD collections. RIYL: Delicatessen, Insomnia, David Lynch.