“Dark Water” attempts to tap into moviegoers’ curiosities with a tagline that reads “Dark water conceals darker secrets.” The only secret to be found in this film is the poor execution of what started out as a decent plot.
The action centers on the events unfolding in the life of Dahlia (Jennifer Connelly) as she begins her life over again. Recently separated from her husband, she is in the midst of a heated custody battle for her daughter, Ceci (Ariel Gade).
After a seemingly short apartment hunt (she only really looks at one place), Dahlia and Ceci settle on a dilapidated place on Roosevelt Island that fits their price range.
Things are beginning to look up, then one night Dahlia notices a large water stain on the ceiling of Ceci’s bedroom. After getting a runaround from Mr. Murray (John C. Reilly) the real-estate agent who helped them secure the place, the building’s superintendent (Pete Postlethwaite) finally repairs the spot and things seem to be going relatively okay.
Then Ceci makes friends with a dead girl.
From there on out, the film builds on the idea that Dahlia is a struggling mother trying to deal with both her own haunting past and provide for her young daughter. Through striking flashbacks, viewers are shown Dahlia’s troubled memories and can notice how they parallel the events that make up the main storyline.
The murky water follows Dahlia everywhere she goes, dripping in elevators, spewing from washing machines and eventually soaking through her entire ceiling. It’s almost as though the amount of dampness present in a scene is directly proportional to how much stress Dahlia is under at that point. As Dahlia’s psychosis progresses, so does the amount of water invading her apartment.
“Dark Water” is Walter Salles’ first English film and a decent showing from a visual standpoint. The images in the film are grim and have a damp feel throughout, making audiences feel as though the water is slowly making its way out of the screen and into the theater.
The star-studded cast turns in solid performances, with Connelly shining as the disturbed mother. The way she portrays Dahlia leaves people to wonder if a ghost is haunting the apartment or if she is simply going insane and losing her grip on reality.
Every character in “Dark Water” seems to be hiding a secret, with nobody coming off as having sincere intentions. Tim Roth has a smaller role as Dahlia’s lawyer, but turns in one of the better performances. As her lawyer who constantly lies to her about his own life and family, it’s unclear if he’s truly on her side.
These rich characters really drive the movie, if not just to see what they do next. In this way, “Dark Water” feels more like a character study than anything else. Few films have characters with this sort of depth, yet they are sadly lost between the cracks in favor of cheap scares.
As a remake of an old Japanese horror film (sound familiar?), “Dark Water” works on some levels. The movie is more a suspense thriller than horror film, but unfortunately lacks any real thrills.
While Salles is successful at building tension and putting viewers on the edge of their seats, there is never any real payoff for it. The end of the film ends up feeling abrupt and awkward compared to the events that led to it. While the conclusion certainly brings everything full-circle, it seems to be more of a supernatural afterthought for what was basically a study in character interactions.
While the ending doesn’t ruin the film altogether, it does cheapen much of what came before it. To have an excellently executed sense of real tension maintained through the majority of the film only to then throw in an over-the-top scenario just seems like a real waste.
The first hour or so of “Dark Water” is superb, featuring excellent character development and equally satisfying visuals. But when Salles foregoes everything that made the film so satisfying in favor of a relatively bland horror-filled conclusion, satisfaction quickly fades.
As audiences are sure to realize, some mysteries are just better left unsolved.
Grade: D
