Reel Critics

Jim Erwin

How far would you go to protect someone you love? That question is the

subject of “The Deep End.” It is a story about a dead body, blackmail and

the lengths a mother will go to protect her son and her family.

“The Deep End” follows a woman who is forced to deal with momentous

problems and make consequential decisions. Margaret Hall (Tilda Swinton)

carries the movie effortlessly, with real emotions that allow you to

stand in her shoes. One of the themes is the burden of keeping secrets.

No one can help Margaret, because she is shielding everyone from knowing

anything. She needs to protect the secret of her son Beau’s (Jonathan

Tucker) homosexuality and the secret about what she has done with his

lover’s body. No one can know she is being blackmailed, but there is no

way she can come up with $50,000 without help.

What makes “The Deep End” compelling is the complexity of the

characters. Margaret is a woman who has to be ready to quickly change

gears from dealing with a corpse, to finding her son’s baseball glove.

“The Deep End” is a well-written, well-acted movie filled with rich

cinematography. There are no big car chases and nothing explodes. There

are no gimmicks or tricks to jolt you out of your seat. This is a smart

movie and is well worth eight bucks.

* JIM ERWIN, 39, is a technical writer and computer trainer.