On a remote North Sea island circa mid-1900s, a violent, alcoholic Minister, Balor, sees his world crumble as the island population slowly dwindles after the local mine closes. He is an abusive husband yet, despite his vile nature, his is considered a pillar of the community simply because of his religious position.
Taking in a troubled young man, the Minister and his wife, Aislin, grow further apart as she and the youth bond and find much in common. The unexpected happiness they find with each other is in stark contrast to their surrounds and the dark nature of Balor who insists “to wish for happiness in this life is arrogance.”
The Silent Storm is written and directed by Corinna McFarlane and is a slow moving period piece that fills its long silences with brooding island scenery that maintains the film’s glum nature. Much of the motivation for the characters’ actions come from their backstories which are only hinted at and never explored in any details. This leaves gaping holes in the narrative, with the slow pace leaving plenty of time to notice and ponder the deficit.
Damian Lewis offers a superb performance as Balor, managing to intimidate with just his presence on screen. As his wife, Aislin, Andrea Riseborough portrays a strong woman struggling to fit in, while Ross Anderson is believeable as the troubled but appealing young man.
Not for the impatient, The Silent Storm feels longer than it’s length due to the depressing and slow moving action. The moments when the story does erupt into a lively scene are far and few between. The film itself is beautifully shot and the acting is spot on, but its snail pace and lack of detail is sure to put many viewers.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 6
The Silent Storm is out now on DVD.
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