DROWNING Film Review — Floating Just Above the Water

Posted on by Michael Dean Adams

A cacophony of gunfire and ocean waves bounce inside the skull of a lonely women. Her son is gone off to war leaving her in the house alone. She feels guilty for raising a son only for him to be somewhere dangerous. He would be in an environment where he could be injured or killed. He is away from her maternal instincts and her motherly love. Rose spends her days working at a local bookstore with a clientele half her age and ignites a romance with a charming teacher.

It is as if she can live her life unheeded by anything. Free to start anew, free to paint the house a different shade, free to start a relationship, and free to finally learn to swim. But she is anchored to grief over her troubled son and her relationship with him. It stays deep inside Rose as she attempts to get through the days. It’s an ambiguous sort of loss. Not knowing if the last words you said will be those final last words.

With the threat of death in the air she dives into every mistake of the relationship. She picks over every discarded conversation as she walks a hillside desperate to make amends before the seemingly inevitable happens. The words hit her as she drives to work. They hit her in bed whether she’s alone or not. Every pleasant event or moment  is undercut with the internal dialogue between a mother and troubled son.

Drowning will make you panic and stress with the characters

Rose takes several swimming lessons with an attentive friend. She can barely keep herself above water with his help, if she even wants the help. Rose loves to let go and fall underneath water, forcing her friend to lift her out to breathe. The sounds of splashing and labored breath feel imposed on our own lungs as we struggle to breathe with her.

The film begs us to cheer Rose on as everyone in her life does. Her support system is familiar and plenty. Her partner is attentive and charming.  But her internal struggles make it an impossible task, as she tears down any attempt to help. Looking to be angry and in some cases vindictive. She burns the bridges of well built relationships.

Drowning is about a mothers love. It’s about the mothers love that’s from a distance, the watchful eye and a worry filled stomach of someone who has created a life. We want our protagonist to move forward from her angry son but that’s not what this mother does. In this writers opinion Melora Walters wrote, directed, and played the role to perfection. This film is for those who love and worry for people out of our control.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Nominate this for The Picture This Post BEST OF 2020???
Click Readers' Choice

Vote Securely! Vote Privately! And Make Your Vote Count-- as all voting should be!!

Yes!! Please note my vote to add this to the Picture This Post BEST OF 2020

Find more top pick Indie Fiction Films— given HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ratings by Picture This Post writers here.

To watch the film visit the DROWNING page on iTunes for information on how to rent or buy.

Director: Melora Walters
Writer: Melora Walters
Cinematography: Christopher Soos
Composer: Sergio Rizzuo
Cast: Melora Walters
Cast: Gil Bellows
Cast: Mira Sorvino
Cast: Jay Mohr

Images courtesy of DROWNING

Michael Dean Adams
Michael Dean Adams

About the Author: Michael Dean Adams

Michael Dean Adams is a freelance writer and poet obsessed with the art scene. Michael spends his free time reading and writing poetry, watching and analyzing Avant-Garde television, or reading Eastern European history.

Share this:
    5

Make a Comment

Leave a Reply

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