"Silent Water" by Oscar-winning director Tom McCarthy ("Spotlight") is an emotional and extraordinary suspense drama that succeeds in its mission only in part.
Matt Damon stars as Bill Baker, a lonely introverted and poor loser from Oklahoma, whose daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) is a convicted murderer who is serving a prison sentence in Marseille, France.
Allison claims she's innocent, and Bill believes her.
So when new information about her case falls into his hands, he decides to settle in the French city to try to prove his daughter's innocence.
The one who helps him with this is Virginia (Cami Cotton, "10 Percent") - a local theater actress and a single mother who befriends him, serves as an interpreter for him and soon becomes his ally.
The good news is that Damon carries the film on his shoulders and presents an invested and compelling performance as Bill.
With a baseball cap, a generous amount of extra pounds, a low voice and a southern accent, it can be said that Damon manages to blend in with the role and forget about being one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the world.
Meanwhile, the film strives against viewers' expectations in that it remains minor and refuses to become a rhythmic action film detached from reality in the style of Liam Neeson.
Bill remains a stubborn, awkward and narrow-minded American who does not understand a word of French, and the way the script accompanies him as he tries to make his way in his new environment allows Damon to locate the character's humanity and give it volume.
The good parts of "Quiet Water" focus on Bill's complex relationship with Allison.
In these scenes, which culminate in a day off from prison that the father and daughter spend together, McCarthy takes his foot off the pedal to focus on emotions, and Damon and Breslin get a chance to prove they are really good at their job.
The less good parts, however, are the ones dedicated to the unexpected family cell a slowly building path with Virginia and her cute daughter.
While the rest of the film at least pretends to be realistic, this part sins with artificiality and clichédness from the Hollywood genre.
Things get even more absurd in the final part of the film, which chooses to take its protagonist to dark realms of films like Danny Willenb's "Prisoners."
The not-always-successful combination of the plethora of elements that make it up also inflates the length of the film and turns Bill's journey into a saga that stretches like chewing gum.
There are also some beautiful moments hidden in the flash, but I'm not sure it's worth crossing the "quiet water" for them.
Unless you'm a fan of Damon.
Score: 5