Search - Running Deep on DVD

And you thought YOUR family was dysfunctional??

Bob Lind | Phoenix, AZ United States | 04/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Personal demons are "Running Deep" (2007) among the men of the Barnes family.

Patriarch Michael is newly retired, still grieving somewhat over the untimely death of his wife to cancer, but still up to his philandering ways which his wife had confronted him about, and which bothered his sons more than he realized. Adopted son Matt was a successful stockbroker, married with two children, but has a serious drug problem about which his father is in denial. Younger son Kevin resents that his father never completely accepted the fact that he is gay, and is constantly on his case about his choice of career, which is managing a gay bar. When Kevin learns that his life-partner, Danny, has been cheating on him, he turns to his father and brother for comfort, only to become more involved in their own problems and failures.

When it is revealed that the deceased mother had secretly bought a beach house where the family spent many carefree summers when the boys were young, and now left it to them in her will, Michael and his sons decide to honor her memory by spending two weeks at the house together. The stay reopens old wounds and reintroduces memories that were best forgotten, until an unforeseen tragedy forces two of the Barnes men to try to get over barely-repressed traumatic experiences from their past.

Interesting story, handled well by a cast of talented actors. A bit implausible at times, but shows how seemingly ingrained prejudices can be rooted in childhood experiences. DVD has no extras but chapter stops. Give it four stars out of five."

Emotion Packed

Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 04/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Running Deep"

Emotion Packed

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride


I just finished watching a screener of a new film that I received today from Ariztical Entertainment and I am still dealing with the way I felt when it ended. "Running Deep" is a powerful film with fine acting and a very intelligent screenplay. Markus Kokkorus has directed a very fine film.
In short the film is about one man's struggle to deal with the memory of his dead wife and to attempt to reconnect with his two sons whom he has grown apart from. He has inherited a beautiful beach house and it is there that he and his sons explore their relationship. The dad has had issues with his sons--one is gay and the other, just out of drug rehab, worships his dad but has other problems. The tragedy of losing his wife is what brings the father to endure both heartache and pain while trying to get his sons back into his life.
Dr. Michael Barnes receives the inheritance of a beach house on the first anniversary of his wife's death. In the past, the family had often spent vacations there some twenty years before. With the bequest came a final wish from the doctor's dead wife and that was for Mike and the two sons would put their differences behind them and return to the beach house as the family they once were. Michael's relationship with his youngest son, Kevin, always was difficult because of his son's rebellious nature. This added to the fact that Kevin is gay causes their relationship to reach very tense levels. Long standing issues between the father and son cause whatever relationship they might have to be quite strained. There have been problems of mistrust and disappointment and these are the wounds with which they must deal. Mike also does not care for Kevin's boyfriend and when Kevin and Danny hit a rough spot, Mike was unconcerned.
Matt, the elder son, is adopted and is an African-American. He is like his father, successful and married and worships his father. Michael feels that Matt can do no wrong but Mat feels that he is alienated by society because of the color of his skin. He stands alone in the world and now he is faced with familial problems that have been looming on the horizon for many years. He must also deal with his deep internal feelings.
The time the three men spend together is expensive. Michael must find a way to reclaim his sons and his sons must find their father again, Mike feels lonely without his wife and his sons will never fill the void of his lost wife. He knows he must satisfy his wife's wish but the road to reconciliation is paved with some very big barriers.
Beautifully acted and photographed, this is one of the new movies you will mot want to miss. However, you must stand warned--it is an emotional experience.
"

Drama on the seashore

Michael Kerjman | 06/18/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A family drama of a child abuse victim-fresh widower-in-his-sixties trying to reconnect with offspring - biological gay and adopted Afro-American sons- is so boring that just big funs of a gender might get intrigue pleased with."

Surface Deep

L. Elliott | Tucson, AZ United States | 08/25/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Overwrought and badly acted, this movie pretends to be about deep issues, but is so ineptly handled that you don't really care about any of the leads. The fact that the story is preposterously over-dramatic doesn't help matters any. Lust, drug abuse, betrayal, death, and attempted murder all take place in the span of the movie--and none of them are dealt with realistically. If you want a moving drama, look elsewhere."