Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
One of my favorite genres of film is ’90s misfires that everyone forgot about. These are the movies that would have been once left to accumulate dust in a Blockbuster Video bargain bin, but since this is 2018, they pop up on streaming. That’s how a 1998 film called Swept from the Sea starring Ian McKellen, Kathy Bates, and a young Rachel Weisz wound up on Prime Video — and on my radar.
Swept from the Sea tells the story of an odd Cornish serving girl named Amy Foster (Rachel Weisz). Amy is beautiful, but we’re told she’s an outcast because she’s a weirdo obsessed with the sea. (There’s a darker reason she’s an outcast, but that’s a twist I’ll save for the film.) One day, a ship carrying immigrants from Russia to America hits a heavy storm off the coast, killing all but one of the poor souls aboard. The lone survivor is the handsome Yanko (Vincent Perez), but since Yanko can’t speak English, he can’t communicate what’s happened. He is treated like a dog and no one but Amy shows him kindness. Amy and Yanko eventually fall in love, but their romance is frowned upon by most of the people in town. Even one of their major allies, the kindly Dr. James Kennedy (Ian McKellen), disapproves of the match (though for reasons concerning another twist I won’t spoil).
Swept from the Sea seems like it might be exactly the sort of movie that’s perfectly positioned to sustain you while you count the days until Poldark will return. It’s dreamy, romantic, and exceptionally beautiful.
That said, there’s a good reason you probably haven’t heard of Swept from the Sea. The film’s narrative works against itself. Swept from the Sea is framed by McKellen’s narration and this kind of over-explains the otherwise enchanting love story. Oh, and Kathy Bates’s British accent is not good.
Nevertheless, the film is definitely worth watching. Director Beeban Kidron’s has an exquisite visual style that smacks you upside the head. It’s been over a week since I watched the film and I can’t stop thinking about one shot that slowly pans out to isolate the helpless Dr. Kennedy in a churchyard full of the dead.
Plus, Rachel Weisz puts forth an absolutely riveting performance as Amy Foster. She’s not a manic pixie dream girl, but a lonely dreamer captivated by the natural wonders that keep her company when people just won’t do. Weisz wouldn’t be pushed into the mainstream until 1999’s The Mummy debuted, but Swept from the Sea proved that she had the goods to be a movie star.
