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Lady o' the House · Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:28 am Post subject: David Weinberg - Dark Harbor

Just saw this movie a couple of days ago and wondered what you all thought about it/Alan's character.

I think I knew what would happen at the end, but it still blew me away.

(Don't want to spoil it, if anyone's not seen it.)

I thought Alan's character was a real jerk, like it was meant to be.

Oh, he's sooo good at being bad!!!!

Lady
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uaengel · Lightweight Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 36 Location: Norway

I haven't gotten the chance to see the film in its entirety yet, so I cannot say... I have seen the important parts though. Laughing

And it's true, no one portrays a baddie the way Alan does. Twisted Evil

I mean, he has played (at least) three of the biggest on-screen bad guys in history; the lovely Sheriff, Mr. Gruber and Snape if you want to count him too. Twisted Evil

Overcast · Lightweight Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 23 Location: US

Even though the film wasn't all that great Rickman again was just the best. I haven't seen a bad performance yet. His character was a jerk, too. I knew the end already because I saw it on youtube, but it was interesting to see it progress to that.

Magenta · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject:

I watched it last night. I had had no idea what to expect. I had ordered the DVD just because. I found the two deserved eachother. Though biased as I am I leant slightly towards David. But he was the slightly submissive one of this strange couple. They were playing with clichés. From the outside he was the dirty old man with the beautiful blonde trophy wife. Inside she was the one manipulating him, making him feel guilty.
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Alan Rickman('s) Acting touches nerves you have absolutely no control over.

Dungeon_Butterfly · Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:44 pm Post subject:

I've only seen bits and pieces of the movie but there's one piece of Alan's dialog that about made me cry. I've been trying to find the quote on sites but can't find it.

It's the part where David is sitting on the couch across from the younger guy (who's name escapes me) and he (David) is telling the younger guy that he didn't exactly remind him of himself and then goes on to say that he used to think that love was all fireworks and explosions.... can anyone give me the quote? I'd love to use it on forums (ya know... spread the Alan Laughing

)
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Magenta · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:56 pm Post subject:

I agree, this dialogue was very special. And If you take the ending into consideration... I wonder whether it was more of an appeal than a lecture. Unfortunatedly my DVD does not carry the English version of the film. I will have to buy a British import to get it right. If by then nobody was able to provide you with the complete quote I will post it here.

The film kept me on my toes for the last two days. I have to ramble about it...

Spoiler Warning for those who want to watch the film without knowing what to expect.....

Alexis comes from old money. David's hard-earned money seems not to be worth anything. At the beginning of the film they both are equally mean to each other. David has a hypochondric traite and Alexis seems to have no respect for him. When the young man turns up, David challenges him in everything. David wants to feel that he is better than the young man. David has to prove something constantly.

Alexis treats David like dirt and flirts heavily with the young man. But when the story comes close to its end it is David who starts a terrible row. Alan's monologue is cold but he bangs a lot of cupboard doors which leads to a physical confrontation between David and the young man. It is as if David is punching him, but you do not see any beating. Alexis punishes David by taking her flirt with the young man several steps further. A steamy scene and the young one moves a mushroom towards Alexis' mouth. They make it look as if they were having sex.

At her furnural David is kind of different, straight back, under control, towering over all the other people. Her mother makes it obvious that David is still not welcome with "Thank you for coming".

David puts the sailboat close to the weckendhouse. (I am not sure, it might be Martha's Vinyard) He starts getting undressed earnestly. He gives the impression of finishing something and for a moment I thought he would kill himself.
He leaves everything behind and dives (in a perfect curve) into the water. He swims to the island and climbs the stairs to the house. When he steps out of the house he is dressed in jeans and sweater. He meets a visitor with a strange embrace and a hot kiss. It is the young man.
This way David gets himself in a even more complicated situation which is even less accepted by his peers. David let Alexis be murdered not to get rid of her but to prove his seriousness about his getting into this new dependence.

Great photography, disturbingly intense scenes, played in the strong rickmanite manner, even by the two others.

BTW the cover of the German DVD says Alan was in "Billy Elliot". I saw Billy Elliot but I do not remember Alan in it. I cannot imagine to have overseen Alan. Does anybody know or is able to check?
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Alan Rickman('s) Acting touches nerves you have absolutely no control over.

Dungeon_Butterfly · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject:

omega13 · Diagnosed Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 165

Nope.

I've seen several times Billy Eliot (great movie, one of my favorites), and Alan definitely was not in it...
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Lady Claire · Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 11:16 pm Post subject:

What I think is even more amazing is when I watched the movie again after seeing the ending. SO many pieces that seemed strange the first go aroung made total sense when seeing it again. I think you truly appreciate the movie and its nuances once you see it over after knowing the end.

Plus, who can have a problem with a naked Alan! Laughing

Overcast · Lightweight Joined: 24 Jul 2007 Posts: 23 Location: US

Here's the quote:

"You know, I look at you and it's funny...you don't remind me of myself exactly, but you remind me of a certain time. I remember what I used to think love was then: The fireworks, the explosions, the highlights...but, it's not. It's time. To go through the seasons together. Through change. Through the ups and downs. To be able to look at your beloved in the eye and say we did that together as one. We chose each other above all others. That's love. It's unexplainable. It's a secret and can only be known once you've done the time."

I love that quote too. Smile

Dungeon_Butterfly · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 5:50 pm Post subject:

journalista · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:18 pm Post subject:

I just watched this movie and I thought it was in the genre of those Alfred Hitchcock movies, just with the way it was staged, the intensity of the limited number of characters, and the music. I thought, though, that there were definite indicators that the whole state of affairs was a set-up from the beginning... There are a few scenes that indicate that David knew the "young man" before coming to Dark Harbor... that he knew him rather well. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but the ending, as far as I was concerned, was inevitable... Shocked

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I want to swim in both directions at once. Desire success, court failure. ~ Alan Rickman

Marie · Rickmaniac Joined: 18 Apr 2007 Posts: 922 Location: Sweden

I just watched the movie. I liked it, and Alan was just great. I love that he never "over-acts" anything, he never shows off, just to let everybody know what a great actor he is (I think some actors do that, sometimes).
He always does just enough, always 100 percent in character.

I kind of saw the ending coming, not from the beginning, but I think I started to suspect it from the scene where the wife and the young man is out to pick mushrooms, and Alan´s character is off to play golf.

The thing I had a problem with in the movie was the woman playing the wife, I can´t remember her name right now. I just didn´t think she did a great job, I didn´t believe her character.
If anyone here is a fan of hers, I appologise, but thats just my feelings.

Oh, and I finally got to see naked Alan! Hurray! Very Happy

DeeARF13 · On Medication Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 445 Location: USA

DeeARF13 · On Medication Joined: 09 Dec 2007 Posts: 445 Location: USA