Dark Harbor

1999
6| 1h24m| R| en
Details

A bickering couple drive fast through a downpour to catch the last ferry to their island retreat. In a flash, they recognize a crumpled body laying at the side of the road and after much argument they stop, only to find a young man battered and bruised. An offer of summoning the police firmly rejected, the two help the man as best they can although it certainly means missing the ferry... and so starts this thriller: a tale of twisted sexual attraction and ulterior motives.

Director

Producted By

Killer Films

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Reviews

Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%
Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
NateWatchesCoolMovies Dark Harbour is a quaint, little seen romantic thriller from the late 90's that sets up an alluring atmosphere in the brief time we get to spend with it, and then ventures slightly into territory that's a bit beyond its initial calculations, providing a super lurid, erotic third act that might not sit well with viewers who patiently followed it along the tracks of logic before it faltered slightly. It's funny though, because the ridiculousness of the twist ending is one of the main aspects that has made the movie stick in my mind since I saw it like eight years ago. The uniquely paired cast makes it worthwhile, as does gorgeous locations and solid cinematography, working hand in hand with neat, rain speckled sound design to bring us a low key thriller that does the trick. Alan Rickman and Polly Walker play a wealthy couple on their way to a remote getaway at a snazzy, forest covered property they own in picturesque Maine. They are about as dysfunctional as couples get; bickering, petty creatures who can't stand to be in each others presence to the point of constant tension. On their way into a secluded, densely forested region they come across an unconscious young man (Norman Reedus) who vaguely suffers amnesia and appears to be distressed, prompting them to take him with them to their abode. From their tension arises to an uncomfortable level as the drifter proves to be both a third wheel and a sinister force of unease to both, culminating in an ambient, rainy forest finale that stands as the best sequence in the film, and a nice bit of work at that. Rickman doesn't usually go for this kind of melodramatic, American stuff and it's surprising in a good way to see him flex his genre muscles. Walker, who wowed me in HBO's Rome, is overlooked and slides into any role with intuition and believability, not to mention her luscious physical presence. Reedus, an actor now known for his endless work on the increasingly dull and shabby The Walking Dead, has countless hidden genre pieces like this in his filmography, and his inherently edgy, enigmatically off kilter aura makes everyone worthwhile. This one especially so, as it's a nicely crafted little dip into a hot and cold mess of a situation that tears the rug from under you in ways you won't see coming.
ashleynwaldron Very few movies leave me confused as to whether or not I enjoyed them, but this one did. I watched this as one of only two Norman Reedus movies I hadn't seen, and... well...After watching it through a second time, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It had its good parts and bad parts... Some of the lines were either poorly scripted, or the actors just weren't feeling it that particular day, since most of it is very well done (and Rickman and Reedus are obviously fairly decent actors), but certain lines just seem... very forced. Again, given the actors, and the majority of the movie, I'd say it was just awkward scripting.The copy that I seen had horrible sound quality, which did make it a little difficult to comment honestly, since I'm sure I missed at least 1/4 of the dialog. Also, not sure if it was (again) just my bad copy, or if it was meant to be filmed as such, but it had a very grainy, almost old-movie style quality about it. It didn't take away from the movie, but something about the grains irritates my eyes, which again, makes it difficult for me to rate the movie as a whole.Positives were, the acting was for the most part, excellent and thought-provoking. Sometimes, the tension almost does seem to be a bit too much (there were several points where I almost felt like leaving the room, before I remembered it was just a movie), but... Again, not really sure how I felt. I've seen a few reviews that said they had to watch it quite a few times before everything became really clear; I'm not sure if I care enough to do that.
vikitoria This was an interesting study in societal sexuality, as well as the "dark interests" of man.While I can't say the wife was a strong character - she was the wrong choice for the part, in my opinion - she was a rich kid in search of escaping her drool life. She was a rebel in fact, and never fully matured for her husband, a lawyer (Rickman). It's obvious he married her for her money and to cover his sexual desires, which is taboo. Rickman played his part to a tee, his flirtations with the young man, and very subtle undertones of gayness. The young man was gay to the hilt! When he did Marilyn impersonation that should have told the wife everything. He was perfectly cast as well. He has hustler written all over him.I was not crazy about the ending, as I knew what was coming. Overall though, the acting from Rickman was great, Reedus was good, Walker was okay but I had misgivings. For a gay themed movie, it was average, but not blatant at least. It's worth viewing if you don't have "Truly Madly Deeply" lying around for a spin.
Matraiea Having read some of the previous reviews, I was highly disappointed to see that not everyone enjoyed this film... Right now, let me tell you, if you are not an Alan Rickman fan, you may want to consider skipping this movie.Being a hard-core Alan Rickman fan, I bought this movie before seeing it. When I watched it, I fell head-over-heels in love. The premise was simple: On their way for a weekend at their private island, a married couple helps an injured man on the side of the road. Dropping him off in the nearest town, they resolve to think nothing more of him. Thus, when he turns up on their private island, they are somewhat surprised. Polly Walker is the only real dud in the film... I'm sorry to say that she's British, to boot. Alan shines in this as he does in everything, and there's just something so loveable about Norman Reedus.The ending *WILL* come as a shock. Unless you're incredibly perceptive (which, I consider myself to be, and I was shocked), you will not know what's coming at the end. Yes, the plot moves a bit slow. But the pace is necessary to establish the proper relational distance between Alexis and David Weinberg.I loved it, I think you will too, so just give it a try!