Swept from the Sea

The cinematography and the music in this film are wonderful, and there is a great supporting performance from Ian McKellan. But while the story was a very emotional one I found myself unmoved. For me Vincent Perez' performance didn't work at all -- I couldn't see past his studied "wildness" and fake accent. And Rachel Weisz, as Amy, is such an enigma that I didn't feel much for her except for a couple of intense scenes. McKellan's Dr. Kennedy is the character I was drawn to. He brings depth and humanity to his role. It was a bit confusing, though -- I wasn't sure if we were supposed to think that Dr. Kennedy felt a homosexual love for Yanko (Perez). And I found the movie much too slow, especially the first half. It felt like a short story dragged out to feature length, which it was. This movie is worth renting, but for me it was ultimately forgettable.