Waterville fest opens with film set in Maine> ‘Dark Harbor’s’ interest lies in plot, characters

With its warped floors, wavy balcony rails, footlighted stage, and arch of lights wrapped around a white movie screen, the Waterville Opera House is a throwback to the old bijous that showcased the work of masters such as Alfred Hitchcock, movies not dependent upon the magic of special effects or the allure of violence, but upon the intricacies of story acted out by multidimensional characters in settings emphasizing tone.

That’s the kind of movie some 500 patrons viewed at the opening of the Maine International Film Festival Friday night.

“Dark Harbor,” set and shot on Islesboro, in Lincolnville, and other parts of the Maine coast, takes advantage of the many moods of Maine weather to create a setting serene in its beauty and yet sinister in its implications. Whether a driving rain along Route 1, a fog bank off Islesboro, or the muted splendor of a field of ferns in fall, in the setting lurks the danger. More to its credit, the film makes no attempt to portray a typical Mainer with a false accent.

A wealthy Boston couple, David and Alexis Weinberg, are headed for their private island for an early fall getaway when they encounter an apparently injured young man along the side of the road. Though the young man wants nothing to do with the police or any other public aid, the couple, against David’s wishes but with Alexis’ urging, give him a ride to their Lincolnville Beach destination. Then the young man keeps reappearing along their route offshore, eventually becoming their unlikely houseguest.

David, played by Alan Rickman of “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves” and “Die Hard” fame, and Alexis, Polly Walker of “Restoration” and “Hamlet,” seem repeatedly to miss opportunities to share intimate married moments, though Rickman’s David rarely misses an opportunity to exercise his droll slicing wit or Walker’s Alexis to demonstrate her old-money Yankee roots to their young companion, played by Norman Reedus, who appeared in “Mimic” and “8 MM.”

Bit by bit the nature of David and Alexis’ relationship and the predilections of their house guest are revealed as an understated sexual competition emerges between David and the young man. And yet, throughout the movie, the question arises, where is this story going? Though the story line appears predictable, you never know what you’re going to hit in the fog, and only after the final scene does the story spell itself out.

Credit must go to the filmmakers for keeping the number of clues to a minimum, for this story works because of what it doesn’t tell as much as for what it does. But few Friday night patrons would have had such an insight confirmed were it not for one of the hallmarks of the film festival — bringing the audience and filmmakers together.

On hand was Jeff Sharp, one of the producers of the film, who answered questions after the screening, revealing that scenes shot in Portland that would have provided more clues about the eventual outcome of the story were cut and that more than one ending had been shot.

As a keynote to the 65 films scheduled to be shown through July 18, “Dark Harbor” sets an ambitious precedent for telling a good story. Previews indicate that line will be followed throughout. For more information, call 873-8138 or visit www.mint.net/movies/miff.