Swept from the Sea (1997)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Beeban Kidron

Writers:

Joseph Conrad (short story "Amy Foster")
Tim Willocks (written by)

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In the heart of an outcast he found his destiny. In the passion of an outsider she found her home.

Plot:

The film tells the story of Russian emigree and the only survivor from ship crash Yanko Goorall and servant Amy Foster in the end of 19th century...

Plot Keywords:

Shipwreck | Russian | 19th Century | Servant | Farm

Cast

Rachel Weisz	...	Amy Foster
Vincent Perez	...	Yanko Gooral
Ian McKellen	...	Dr. James Kennedy
Kathy Bates	...	Miss Swaffer
Joss Ackland	...	Mr. Swaffer
Tony Haygarth	...	Mr. Smith
Fiona Victory	...	Mrs. Smith
Tom Bell	...	Isaac Foster
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Mary Foster
William Scott-Masson	...	Mr. Willcox (as William Scott Masson)
Eve Matheson	...	Mrs. Willcox
Dave Hill	...	Jack Vincent
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Canon Van Stone (as J.G.R. Ashton-Griffiths)
Matthew Scurfield	...	Thackery
Margery Withers	...	Widow Cree

Also Known As:

Amy Foster (UK)
Amy Foster: Swept from the Sea (UK) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for elements of theme and some sensuality.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | France:U | Germany:12 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Blisland, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Phoenix Pictures

The eyes have it

I rented this movie because I was trying to watch as many Rachel Weisz movies as possible (inspired by her acting in The Mummy Returns). I must say this movie is a gem I would have otherwise missed. I think this movie is all about subtlety of character. The whole enigma around Amy Foster exists only because people don't appreciate the subtleties of her personality and interactions with others. As Dr. Kennedy says in his narration, her silence was not out of inaction or stupidity; rather it was a way of communicating either disdain, disinterest, or disapproval for how others were treating her. Amy's main way of communicating, aside from her silence, was through her eyes. Even though Yanko learned to speak English, he also appreciated and learned to communicate in Amy's own language. I liked Vincent Perez's acting in this movie. His Russian accent was pretty authentic. The other British accents seemed to be mixed between various regions. I'd say this is probably the best acting I've seen out of Rachel Weisz in the five of her movies I've seen. However I notice that those expressions which I felt were so striking in this movie for this character are rather stereotyped expressions that she uses in general. I don't know whether that is what the directors are looking for or if this is one of the few acting flaws that Ms. Weisz might yet overcome. Overall score: 8/10