The Shipping News

An unrepeatable cast, an experienced director and very good screenplay based on a remarkable book - this all promised a refreshing and mainly an extremely high quality spectacle. Which in the end it isn’t. The acting in The Shipping News is perfect, well-directed and nicely written... But it runs on all cylinders only during the introduction and then it falls into the old rut of other similar movies. Unarguably, this is a higher than average quality picture. But it had the potential to achieve a quality considerably higher than in the end result. Which is a huge shame. (04/08/2007)

Kevin Spacey plays the part of a poor guy beset by tragedy and the atmosphere of the film is really bleak and depressing. But in the setting of Canadian Newfoundland, it all comes together to form such a magical whole that even when not much was happening in the movie, I was really enjoying the shots of the countryside, which literally took my breath away. (01/11/2016)

I saw three essential Hallström films 15 years ago and I highly appreciated them. They were, after all, his showcase in the form of Chocolat and The Cider House Rules. Then I took a long break and now, with a significant time gap, it was time for The Shipping News, which, to put it kindly, leaves me puzzled. Hallström should have never gotten his hands on this material. It contradicts his nature and filmmaker vision. It is too sweet and sunny for a story set in the harsh nature of Newfoundland. It fails to work with the atmosphere and add the necessary elements of rawness and pain. The result is an insignificant "something" that evaporates from one's mind in a few hours. The protagonist, Quoyle, is one of those passive losers, whom I thought existed only in the world of Aki Kaurismäki's films. The catastrophic marriage (the end of which any reasonably sane man would welcome as liberation from hell) would fit more into the genre of a crazy comedy than a romantic drama. Quoyle is, in any case, a character to whom negative or positive things "happen." While I consider Kevin Spacey an excellent character actor, this is not the type of role that suits him. The cast is strong, but it can't save the unhealthy foundation. Overall impression: 40%. (14/02/2021)

The melancholic film The Shipping News tells the story of people who are disappointed by life and who are slowly but steadily finding their way to each other. The fractured and romantic mood of the story is enhanced by the beautiful natural scenery of the inhospitable coastal landscape of Newfoundland. When it comes to the performances, I believe every viewer must come to their own conclusions. However, despite all the assumptions, this is not a film that evoked any major emotional response in me. (70%) (09/03/2021)

What I admire about Hallström is the way he can grasp and tell a seemingly bland story without it being bland in the end. The Shipping News is primarily about finding oneself, coming to terms with loss, and starting to live again, but it's all delivered in a sensitive and human way (what else would you expect from Hallström anyway) that hides all its clichés. The character of Quoyle serves as the perfect typification of a bitter yet good-natured guy in every way, dealing with the loss of his wife and lovingly trying to care for his only daughter. The Newfoundland area is perfect for the story, and the occasional presence of appropriately chosen music is a delight. Kevin Spacey and Julianne Moore are absolutely superb in their roles. 4.5 stars (09/08/2009)