Entertainment

Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas bring unhappily married heat to ‘Deep Water’

Published

on

Tailored from the novel by Patricia Highsmith (“The Gifted Mr. Ripley”) and relegated to a low-key premiere on Hulu, the story hinges on the unusual marriage between Vic (Affleck) and Melinda (“Knives Out’s” de Armas), a picture-perfect couple that outwardly have all the pieces, together with his invention-earned wealth and their lovely younger daughter.

The 2 have reached an obvious understanding, nonetheless, that permits her to compensate for his indifference and emotional distance by taking lovers, an unhappily-ever-after dynamic that causes discomfort amongst their pals, with whom they frequently throw neighborhood events, largely on account of her brazenness.

As for Vic, he acts unperturbed by his spouse’s infidelity, however there’s the little matter of Melinda’s one-time “good friend” who has gone lacking, and lingering suspicions as as to whether he had something to do with that.

Vic does not search to quell these rumblings, underscoring the thoughts video games that the couple performs not solely with one another, however these round them. When a pulp author (Tracy Letts) who’s new to the neighborhood observes that Vic’s “a bizarre man,” Vic merely smiles at his spouse having stated a lot the identical to him and responds, “So I have been instructed.”

Recognized for his shiny extra, Lyne virtually invented this contemporary variant of the erotic thriller with “Deadly Attraction,” “Indecent Proposal” and later “Untrue,” the movie that this film most intently resembles in tone and matter. The irony, in fact, is that whereas some will be careful of curiosity concerning the leads on account of their off-screen relationship, most of de Armas’ steamiest scenes occur with others.
Lyne and screenwriters Zach Helm and “Euphoria’s” Sam Levinson have taken liberties with the novel, however the broad outlines make for a tense, twisty ambiance — at the least, till they pull again the curtain, sacrificing the psychological uncertainty and squandering that momentum down the stretch.
It is nonetheless a powerful showcase for Affleck — whose historical past with the style consists of “Gone Woman” — and de Armas, taking part in a personality seemingly decided to check how far she will push her aloof husband, determined to elicit some type of emotional response.

Regardless of the tabloid-tinted facet of the star pairing, this once-thriving components is now not sufficient to carry the movie’s must-see issue out of the shallow finish commercially talking, which probably explains its debut through streaming, not theaters.

Advertisement

Nonetheless, Affleck and de Armas’ generate sufficient warmth to make “Deep Water” value watching, even when the film appears destined to generate its greatest splash over what transpired off display screen as a substitute of what is on it.

“Deep Water” premieres March 18 on Hulu. It is rated R.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trending

Exit mobile version