“RUNNING DEEP”–emotion packed

“Running Deep”

Emotion Packed

Amos Lassen

“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.