It Could Happen to You, Maybe
Whilst on holiday in the Caribbean Susan (Blanchard Ryan) and Daniel (Daniel Travis) decide to head out on a scuba diving trip. Unfortunately the boat is packed and when it is time to return the couple find themselves left behind in the middle of the ocean due to a counting error. With their only hope of survival being someone realising the mistake and the boat coming back they try to keep safe, not easy when sharks start to appear.
At about 15 minutes into the movie I wrote down the comment; "is this a low budget movie or is it supposed to be a found footage movie, in which case who the heck is doing the shooting". I'd given up caring as to what it was suppose to be long before the movie ended because what ever it was trying to be was off putting. For example, early on there is a scene of Susan lying on top of her bed naked waiting for Daniel to come in, they don't have sex but Susan climbs under the covers which makes you question why was she having to lay naked on top for.
But there is something else which stopped me from really enjoying "Open Water" and that is I didn't get the fear factor. You see I would never be on a boat going out to scuba dive where sharks are and so don't have that fear factor of "that could happen to me". And that is a big part of the power of the movie that fear of being in a similar situation and it happening to you.
Now I have been negative so far because "Open Water" just didn't connect with me but as a piece of independent movie making it is hard not to be impressed. Made on just $130,000 and filmed at weekends and on holidays the dedication impresses as does the fact we are talking a movie with no CG, just real actors in the water next to real sharks which are being wrangled by experts.
What this all boils down to is that whilst "Open Water" left me drifting far too much as I failed to connect with it, the fact this was made pretty much in the spare time on a limited budget impresses.
Tags: Shark Movies
