[psycho d]

Black Water (2007). There is something mysteriously magical about certain film projects where the ingredients of a page-turning script, stress, and a low budget creates an alchemy of brilliance. Black Water is such a project. Again making a stand for the philosophy that less is more, Black Water's nail-biting fear factor is created by that which remains unseen, forever hidden under the surface of that damned murky water. The acting was more than solid for the genre, creating characters that we actually care for. The survival-driven story made for a believable circumstance of being in the middle of nowhere at the worst of times, its bleakness only circumvented by the determination of our heroic victims. The direction utilized suspense and imagination with aplomb to keep one's nerves on edge. The camera work helped to bolster the paradox of claustrophobia amidst the wide expanses of the N. Australia's mangrove swamps and estuaries. The effects, wisely shying away from CGI and instead combining compositing with the suspense of that which lurks beneath, worked to created a perfectly paced sense of dread. The overall effort resulted from the cyclopean efforts to create a movie with severe budget limitations in a rather inhospitable environment. Merci beaucoup.
Genruk'