The Seventh Stream (2001) Scott Glenn, Saffron Burrows, John Lynch, Eamon Morrissey, Joseph Kelly, Maire Hastings, Fiona Shaw Movie Review

The Seventh Stream (2001)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Saffron Burrows and Scott Glenn in The Seventh Stream (2001)

A Hallmark Selkie

It has been 5 years since his wife died and since then fisherman Owen Quinn (Scott Glenn) spends his time either working or reading. But one stormy night as he hears the seals barking he is convinced that he sees a woman in amongst them which folklore has it is a selkie. Despite having his doubts when it comes to the folklore the beautiful selkie, which he names Mairead (Saffron Burrows), quickly becomes part of his life especially as fisherman Tomas Dunhill (John Lynch) wants to own her as she attracts the fish. But both Owen and Mairead know that what they have may be short lived as according to legend Mairead must return to the ocean to become a seal once again once her skin is returned.

"The Seventh Stream" is to my knowledge only the second movie I have watched which is based around the Irish legend of the Selkie and I have to say that this did as little for me as the other movie did. As I can't think of any other family drama which deals with Irish folklore that I have watched I am beginning to wonder whether this sort of movie just doesn't do it for me. What that means is that whilst the majority of opinions on "The Seventh Stream" I have come across are positive and love this story involving a Selkie I find myself in the minority when I say that I found this slow going and often tedious.

The thing is that "The Seventh Stream" is pretty simple stuff as we have a widow who has shut himself off emotionally finding himself breathing in the joys of life once again after meeting Mairead who similarly finds herself falling for Owen. Of course as the two become close things are not simple not only because of Mairead being a Selkie but also because of Tomas who becomes obsessed with her. The thing is that this just didn't charm me, it didn't draw me and the characters did very little for me although Saffron Burrows certainly makes Mairead quite mysterious and innocent.

What this all boils down to is that whilst "The Seventh Stream" has charmed some has failed to charm me and ended up a slow movie which lays things on a little too thick for my liking.


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