SYNOPSICS
Floating (1997) is a English movie. William Roth has directed this movie. Norman Reedus,Chad Lowe,Will Lyman,Sybil Darrow are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1997. Floating (1997) is considered one of the best Drama,Romance movie in India and around the world.
Floating is the story of a young man's struggle to come of age during a violent period of emotional and financial bankruptcy. The film stars Norman Reedus as Van, a son shouldering the responsibility of his embittered father, with no one to nurture him through his own pain. Van's father is so engrossed in his own troubles that he fails to emotionally support his son. As Doug, Chad Lowe provides Van with friendship, but more importantly, with the knowledge that a "perfect life" isn't always what it seems. After Van and Doug engage in a crime spree that ends in tragedy, father and son finally come together for the first time to transcend mourning.
Floating (1997) Reviews
More like Sinking
I'm still trying to figure out what 'Floating' is about, other than a homoerotic tale of misfit children and their dysfunctional families that live "down by the river." Guys running around, swimming – sometimes naked, almost always half-naked – wrestling, sweating, male bonding, etc, etc. Other than having a higher budget than an A&F ad it is, there really wasn't much left. We have kids yearning to get out of town (not original,) broken homes (not original,) and aimless pot-smoking partiers bend on destruction and theft of other people's properties (not original.) The main actor, Reedus, appears to do what he can with the source material while his BFF Lowe completely over acts in his (also unoriginal) role. It didn't have bad production (aside from horrible lighting at times,) especially for a low budget indie and it was great to finally see a gay-themed film that two guys can be best friends when only one is gay and the other is not only straight, but stays that way. Far too often, per the writer's fantasies, I suppose, the straight man will get seduced and succumbs to the gay man, all of a sudden gay by association. So, I liked that about this film, but in the end, nothing new jumped out at me, except for beautiful shots of the lake and some eye candy. The movie's thin plot revolves mostly around kids getting high, hating their parents and robbing neighbors. Newcomer to town, Lowe, is befriended by the leader of the pack, Van, who sees him as not only a ticket out, but a chance for redemption. Aside from the huge problem with the closing tragedy, these kids leave evidence everywhere of their thefts, not to mention this is a small town and they pick really close neighbors. Seriously?
A Gay Perspective (Spoiler)
I liked most of this film and loved parts of it. Enough to forgive its weaknesses. The Troubled Youth (Van) is depicted as a leader of his peer group in the small lake community and I felt it was a very positive thing to have him befriend the gay guy. At first, we were not sure of his intentions. Is Van bisexual? We see him with his girl friend. The scene where Van sleeps over at Gay Doug's house is particularly ripe with suspense and sexual tension. I was on the edge of my seat. Later when Doug is totally embarrassed over Van finding his porn and laughing at it I thought the movie excelled in Van's sensitive treatment and acceptance of the gay character. Van is tough, Van is cool, Van probably cares about his image. To depict him caring A LOT about Doug, really as the centerpiece and emotional climax of the film, is a breakthrough in gay-friendly cinema. My hat's off to you. Keep it up.
An unpretentious, character-driven drama
One of the more realistic "coming-of-age" films I've seen. A well-acted film in which sympathetic and complex characters drive the story. There's nothing fancy here in way of cinematography, but anyone who enjoys films that handles heavy emotional issues in a nuanced, unforced way will find this film worthwhile. There's a very interesting "trick" that the film plays on you that makes you rethink the main character's perspective on the events at the very end of the film.
Brilliantly acted film.
I only found out about this film after watching The Walking Dead and deciding I had to see more of Norman Reedus' films. I discovered that this was one of his first acting credits, so I figured it would be a good one to watch. And I was right! The film is slow moving , so it might not appeal to everyone, but what it lacks in action it more than makes up for with drama and family dynamics. The acting was top notch from everyone- I personally thought the two best turns came from Norman Reedus and Will Lyman as son and father respectively. Chad Lowe didn't do a bad job either. The characters were believable and had their own flaws, making every character sympathetic but not above criticism for their actions. Also, the location was beautiful and provided a serene, constant backdrop for the emotional turmoil that forms the basis of the plot. The film is not without its faults though- I think it would have benefited from being a bit longer in order to examine the consequences of the events of the final act. However, for me the rest of the film was of such a high standard that I can forgive it for this, hence the 10 star rating. It isn't a bad ending- far from it in fact (I teared up!)- I just think it would have benefited from showing a bit more of Van's story. I would definitely recommend this film- it is difficult to find on DVD for a decent price, which is a shame because it deserves more recognition. However it is easy to watch over the internet, and it is really worth the watch.
A group of guys befriend a geeky guy over the summer
This movie included some up and coming talent included the engaging Josh Marchette who makes a small role memorable. I enjoyed the chemistry between the actors and the setting very much.