In a small port town in Alaska, a man grief-stricken from a boating accident in his youth befriends an itinerant singer and her introverted daughter. After being attacked on a sailing trip, they are marooned on a small deserted island and must fend for themselves.
A typically observant, well-written, intriguing and thoughtful drama from editor-writer-director Sayles, where even the minor characters are witty and interesting. As with all of Sayles' work, his smooth, relaxed style seems to bring out the very best in his actors and make the story all the more poignant and touching - his technique is almost invisible. The cast are great, with Strathairn giving another of his intense, quiet character studies in his seventh film for Sayles, but the real find is Martinez, who is terrific as the sweet-natured girl Noelle, tired of her mother's vagrancy and succession of boyfriends. Sayles also picks wonderful locations for his stories, and the Alaskan backdrops and fishing communities here are beautiful and evocative (although since I spent my honeymoon in the winter in British Columbia, I'm kinda biased in that regard). Beautifully photographed in Juneau and the North Pacific by Haskell Wexler.
A typically observant, well-written, intriguing and thoughtful drama from editor-writer-director Sayles, where even the minor characters are witty and interesting. As with all of Sayles' work, his smooth, relaxed style seems to bring out the very best in his actors and make the story all the more poignant and touching - his technique is almost invisible. The cast are great, with Strathairn giving another of his intense, quiet character studies in his seventh film for Sayles, but the real find is Martinez, who is terrific as the sweet-natured girl Noelle, tired of her mother's vagrancy and succession of boyfriends. Sayles also picks wonderful locations for his stories, and the Alaskan backdrops and fishing communities here are beautiful and evocative (although since I spent my honeymoon in the winter in British Columbia, I'm kinda biased in that regard). Beautifully photographed in Juneau and the North Pacific by Haskell Wexler.