Still the Water

This movie was a frustrating watch. Everyone is angry at one another from the start and you don't know as we the audience slowly and painfully gets answers which never seems to justify why everyone feels the way they feel. The acting is poor around. The hockey scenes are so poorly done I sort of wish they were left out altogether.

On the bright side, the movie looks great.

P. E. I.. Family trauma. Adultery. Folk music. Hockey. Did I mention P. E. I.?

Jordie is a hulking, awkward hockey player returning home as somewhat of a local legend with what appears to be a tail between his legs. There is a mysterious dark past, and plenty of tension, amplified by the crowded circumstance. Small town? Howsabout small island? There is no escaping the past. Many will require nothing more. This is your wheelhouse. Good for you. Sadly, for those willing to remove rose coloured islander glasses, this is not a great viewing experience.

Stark realism is great if it ain't clunky, and damn, this is clunky. Unspoken secrets only work if some loose lips let slip, otherwise there is but conjecture and eventually, ambivalence. When sibling matters come to a lobster boil, the drama is pretty anti-climactic. A fishing boat scene, which should be life and death serious, plays embarrassingly tepid. The brothers do come to inevitable blows, and it is on the ice (get it: "Still the Water"), but they are on the same team. Yes the same team. Needless to say, any hockey aficionado will have a problem or twelve with the shinny sequences. The footage is akin to a beer league scenario, not from supposed Memorial Cup skaters. This is John Candy as Darryl Sittler silly, except it ain't played for laughs. Who throws down their stick (several times, this is Jordy's go to move) when mad? No one. No one does. The stilted and perplexing road hockey scenes on bumpy dirt roads are excruciatingly awful. Was there not a hockey player available as consultant? Maybe a seven year old with a rudimentary knowledge of the sport? C'mon!

As a wrinkled cherry on a collapsing cake, the big finale happens at centre ice in a darkened, empty arena, because that is where everyone hangs out when they look for redemption. Sports clichés are back baby!

Is the film this bad? Perhaps not. The music is fine. The scenery lovely. It does capture that odd islander vibe. Perhaps anyone not privy to the nuances of hockey will squeeze some sort of entertainment from this picture. Stranger things have happened.

• hipCRANK.

Still the Water, a Canadian independent film written and directed by Susan Rodgers, is a really compelling drama that weaves together a number of storylines: family conflict, sports, romance/lost love, regret, and so many more topics.

I really appreciate the music, all of the parts of the score fit the movie very well. The actors really drove the movie forward and kept the story moving.

I also really loved the scenery and cinematography, showing the sweeping shots of the small town as the characters move through it, almost making the town its own character in the film.

Really well done! Check this one out!

If you're looking for a movie with passion, grit, drama and a little bit of suspense, "Still the Water" is your movie. What a relatable storyline, unravelling the heaviness of family adversities, to be reunited and face the truth years later. While we see the pain resentment holds, we also see the strength in trying to make amends and the freedom truth grants. "Still the Water" is a true testimony of the power of love and family when it is all said and done. A very real and relatable movie, pulling all heart strings. On the other hand, let us highlight the character role of Nicki played by Colin Price. Wow! Passion, integrity and emotions personified. Every single scene and line spoken was felt in my bones. There is no better expression of communication from a character, when the audience can feel the ripple effect of emotions from the scene. Colin is a very versatile character throughout the film and captures the true essence of what it means to perform. Colin is a force to be reckoned with! Overall, great film!

This is exactly what an 'indie' film should be. Beautiful photography, incredible location, deep and emotional writing and understated performances.

There's a lot of talent on view here.

Highly recommended.