A man saves a young woman from drowning. She seems to have no past, so he takes her home to his wife and son. His family adopts the woman, but her savior finds himself obsessed by the woman. He is both attracted and repulsed by her, following her and spying on her. There is also something of a frame device, with the man talking to a group of fishermen at night, that I am not certain I completely understood.
Adrift has a story that probably would have worked better on the page than on the screen. The story meanders, at times, seemingly going nowhere. Film audiences tend to expect more forward motion.
On the plus side, some of the film's images are strong. The ending is nicely done. I also liked Paula Pritchett as the woman saved from downing. She gives off a perfectly mysterious air. A viewer can understand both why the family would invite her to stay and how the head of the family could become so obsessed with her.
I didn't dislike my viewing of Adrift, but I am not sure I would watch it again. The film needed something more. Perhaps a stronger director, a Roman Polanski, could have brought more life to the story. As it is, Adrift is a mildly interesting experiment.
Adrift has a story that probably would have worked better on the page than on the screen. The story meanders, at times, seemingly going nowhere. Film audiences tend to expect more forward motion.
On the plus side, some of the film's images are strong. The ending is nicely done. I also liked Paula Pritchett as the woman saved from downing. She gives off a perfectly mysterious air. A viewer can understand both why the family would invite her to stay and how the head of the family could become so obsessed with her.
I didn't dislike my viewing of Adrift, but I am not sure I would watch it again. The film needed something more. Perhaps a stronger director, a Roman Polanski, could have brought more life to the story. As it is, Adrift is a mildly interesting experiment.
