K. S.

This seemed to have the makings of a deep and poignant character study. The setting: two men in a totally isolated, hostile and primitive location set to undertake a limited time assignment. A 30 day contract of hard and thankless work, but with a definite end and termination which makes anything bearable. The protagonists seem to be vastly different in character and nature. Or perhaps one has simply exhausted his options and is at the end of his journey and so is lording over his younger assistant, elevating his sense of self importance to assure himself he has accomplished something with his insipid life while his younger counterpart is compliant while searching for his own path to unfold and some meaning to reveal itself. What unfolds is a muddled, boring two hours, trying desperately to appear insightful or at least artsy. The actors did their best with the threadbare script they were given and were almost convincing that this film has some merit. It did not. Right down to what was supposed to be an unexpected turn of events at the very last moment, but was completely predictable as any C movie, and almost laughably so. Two men, driven mad after only 5 weeks of each other's isolated company? The final scene supplied what's intended to be a visual metaphor, I suppose, but to this viewer at least it had me scratching my head saying, really? That's the best you could come up with to conclude and summarize this disappointing mess? This could have been a memorable and significant film. The location, the sounds, the black and white format, two fine actors, and perhaps most of all the metaphor of the setting, a powerful source of light and illumination in the midst of a turbulent and dangerous, shifting sea. Keep the rental fee Google, but can I please have those two wasted hours of my life back?