Deep, but not developed enough

The look of "The Deep End" is ominous, as if something horrible is always on the brink of happening. There are several shots under the water of lakes or swimming pools. Characters pass in front of a bubbling fish tank. Although the electric blue water looks bright, there is a darkness lingering in the corners, as if something is laying in wait. \nAnd as the movie begins, it appears the film is going to fulfill the promise and provide two hours of nail-biting suspense. Nevada mom Margaret Hall's (Tilda Swinton) calm domestic world is swept out from under her when she wakes up one morning to discover her teenage son's sleazeball male lover impaled on an anchor by the dock of her lakeside backyard. Margaret fears her son, Beau, (Johnathan Tucker) is the culprit and goes to great lengths to protect him. This leads to her getting mixed up with the attractive Alek Spera (Goran Visnjic), who is sent by his creepy boss to blackmail her out of $50,000.\nThe movie plods along and seems like it will build up to some sort of climax, but unfortunately never does. Plot points seem to float in limbo, and characters make decisions without much explanation. For example, the relationship between Alek and Margaret becomes increasingly more complex but the motivations for this are never adequately developed. "The Deep End" was adapted from a 1940s noir novel, "The Blank Wall," written by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. The plot was most likely better explained in the book, but cut by the directors for time constraints or the characters' inability to be portrayed on film.\nDespite these shortcomings, the cinematography is beautiful and the performances are for the most part excellent. Both Swinton and Visnjic do their best with the material given and try to give their lines deeper meaning, as if to make up for the lack of real subtext. Even though it's not explored nearly enough, their relationship is still compelling to watch as they alternately threaten and bond with each other. \nWatching "The Deep End" is enough to make a person want to take a vacation to beautiful Lake Tahoe, take a swim and then head to the library to pick up a copy of "The Blank Wall," all in an attempt to pick up where the script leaves off.