STARS: Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Pete Postlethwaite, Scott Glenn.

STORY

If you like moody, atmospheric films with a haunting score, then The Shipping News is worth your time.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same name by E. Annie Proulx, the story is very much an `interior’ journey of self-discovery for the main character, Quoyle (Kevin Spacey). Set largely amid the rugged isolation of Newfoundland, Canada, the characters struggle with secrets and the harsh weather - there is plenty of both. The more brooding scenes in the film are eerily complemented by the dark domination of the weather, which I am told from the extras is strongly developed as a character in the novel, and which the director Lasse Hallstrom, being a Swede, was not going to gloss over. The characterisations are more interesting than your average emotional drama of the `Fried Green Tomatoes’ variety.

The issues run deeper, and are unfolded with greater subtlety - it just seems more believable, although many of the character’s names are less so! We have Cate Blanchett as Petal, Julianne Moore as Wavey and Pete Postlethwaite as Tert, to name but a few. Even the name Quoyle is said to derive from a style of rope folding we’ve all probably seen but never thought much about - as the name suggests, coiled flat so that it can be walked on if necessary. No doubt a deliberate reference to Quoyle as he battles personal demons.

The cast are well chosen for this kind of film, so leave any possible expectations of glamour behind when you hit the PLAY button. It’s hard to be chic when you’re wearing six layers of clothing. Judi Dench, who plays Quoyle’s aunt Agnis Hamm, is always a joy to watch - her intriguing character provides much of the ballast for Quoyle’s life, to use a nautical term.

Julianne Moore is an actress I don’t watch much, but she’s perfect for the character of Wavey - she looks like she belongs there. Cate Blanchett doesn’t get a great amount of screen time, but she sure makes a lasting impression, at her trashy best.

The personal histories of the characters are developed from within a larger ancestral context, recalling the struggle of those who settled Newfoundland. Add to this a strong thread of family curses and psychic episodes - `sensitivity’ as the locals call it - and the overall effect is very haunting, which mirrors the environment and the characters’ circumstances perfectly.

Also a strong influence in the film is the recurring image of water - all the characters seem to be in it, on it, around it or talking about it constantly! The opening scene of the film really sets the tone for our understanding of Quoyle’s life so far, the director wanting to convey a man sleepwalking his way through life, in `over his head’, so to speak. There are quite a few scenes that use the symbolism of water to indicate the state of mind, or progress of the character to that point in the film. Quoyle especially so - much is made of the fact that the Quoyle family has water ‘in their blood’.

I didn’t think I would enjoy this film as much as I did. It was a pleasant surprise. Whilst not one of the best films I’ve ever seen - the overall theme is nothing new - this is done with style, and it has made me interested in reading the book. I decided not to provide a synopsis here, for fear of spoiling the sense of mystery woven throughout the film.

EXTRAS

Apart from the basics - scene selection and language selection (only two choices here, English & Italian) - I am pleased to report that this DVD has not gone overboard like so many others, pardon the pun. I’m not a huge fan of extra features, so I find it hard to discuss them. What they provide would be valuable to some and not to others depending on expectation, but quantity is no substitute for quality. All I can say is that I was not overwhelmed by a choice of hours and hours of potential drivel. Quite simply, what I saw added to my appreciation of the film, so I was happy. The fact that the extras weren’t of a longer duration than the feature is a good sign for me in most cases..

“Dive Beneath The Surface of The Shipping News” is a 23 minute documentary which could have been done by my mother - such was the obsession with the weather whilst filming. But - informative, and not too much time was spent talking to the actors, which can often be a scary and disappointing experience. Such was the calibre of the cast that they seemed to actually understand the context surrounding the film they were making.

There is also a feature commentary by the director, Lasse Hallstrom, the screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, and the co-producers Leslie Holleran and Linda Goldstein Knowlton. I decided to do something I don’t normally do in listening to the first 30 minutes of this commentary - I picked up a couple of insights which I have mentioned in the story section of this review. This feature is a sensational option for those who border on the obsessive about films they love.

Another piece of trivia I learned from the commentary that I haven’t mentioned is that identical triplets played the role of Quoyle’s daughter Bunny. Geez, I forget the little practicalities like not slavedriving one child for ten hours a day on an emotionally gruelling set. That’s progress.

Last and least is a Shipping News photo archive which features behind-the-scenes shots, scenic views and a portrait gallery of the principal cast. Photo galleries are usually underwhelming, this is no exception.

OVERALL

I would recommend you watch this film on a stinking hot night when your house is like an oven - you just might find that all the water, snow and fog will make you feel cool. Also, if you’ve ever wondered what accent a Newfoundlander has, you’ll get a kick out of this. Brooding characters and a harsh environment provide the fuel that gives this interior drama a deeper, more realistic sense of personal regeneration than lots of similar productions could ever dream of achieving. Most segue into cheesiness, but this film manages to avoid such predictable pitfalls.

A Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack makes the score sound great - the wonderful bass of the drum beats which pepper the film really adds to the intensity, as do the great weather `noises’. The vision is 2:25:1 widescreen format. This is essentially a story of breaking free of the past, and I’m glad that Lasse Hallstrom was `steering the vessel’. It’s often said that Swedes are in their element in bleak weather, and I attribute the wonderfully moody atmosphere of The Shipping News to his Nordic sensibility in cleverly translating the intentions of Proulx’s novel to the big screen.