Head Above Water

It took a bit to get going, but once Cameron Diaz showed up, I was hooked. Her comedic timing is spot on, and honestly, few can pull off the kind of charm she brings to the screen. (23.05.2011)

For someone who is not familiar with the original Norwegian version, Head Above Water may be an interesting diversification of film production. However, I saw the original film long before Jim Wilson's, so I can only sadly say that the cynical black humor, and the cleverness of the original screenplay, have disappeared, and the little that remained functional, I already knew from the Norwegian film. In addition to the Norwegian version, I only got to see two American stars, who also do not fully utilize their potential. That said, nobody can turn Cameron Diaz into a top actress, and Harvey Keitel simply didn't fit the position required by the script. If I hadn't seen the Norwegian film, I would give it three stars, but this way it only gets two. American remakes of European films are usually worse than what I consider quality filmmaking, even with a higher budget. Overall impression: 45%. (14.11.2008)