AGAINST THE CURRENT: just go with the flow

2009's AGAINST THE CURRENT is a gently-paced exploration of one of life's biggest questions set against the natural splendour of the Hudson River in New York State. The scenery is so spectacular that at times it threatens to overwhelm the story.

Joseph Fiennes stars as Paul Thompson, a mid 30s New Yorker still struggling with a tragic loss five years after it happened. He decides to do something big to give his life some meaning, and settles on swimming a 150 mile stretch of the Hudson River from Troy to the Verrazano Bridge at the mouth of New York harbor. He persuades an old schoolfriend, Jeff (Justin Kirk) and Liz (Elizabeth Reaser) a schoolteacher he meets in bar where Jeff works, to join him as his support crew, operating the boat which'll escort him on his quest. Once they've signed on he reveals he plans to complete the swim by August 28 - a date which has very special and ominous significance for him and Jeff.
AGAINST THE CURRENT is ostensibly the story of Paul's journey and of the friendship which develops between Liz and the two men, but the real star is the Hudson and the scenery on either river bank. Many visitors to New York City have no idea of the incredible natural beauty and the tranquility that exists just a few miles up-river of the city that never sleeps. Writer-director Peter Callahan makes sure his camera drinks in the view, with long lingering shots of hills and mountains and woods and peaceful small towns and mansions nestled among the trees.
The one jarring note in the entire trip comes when the trio stop off for the night at the home of Liz's mother, who lives close to the Hudson. Mom is played by Mary Tyler Moore in one of those cameos by a big name who wants the kudos that comes from 'stretching themselves' by appearing in an art house production. I'm sure the production was equally happy to have her presence as a selling point but it's a distraction. I found myself focusing on her miraculously taut 73 year old face and eyes so disturbingly large they give ET a run for his money and wondering "what has she done to herself?" rather than the story.
The ending, when it arrives is strangely anti-climactic but also entirely fitting. Absorbing and leisurely AGAINST THE CURRENT will either hook you or bore you to tears. It's a film whose impact depends entirely on the mood of the viewer and their willingness to let themselves go with the flow.