neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Shipping News
	Lasse Hallstrom Kevin Spacey, Judi Dench, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett 2001		Leave it to the tremendously talented actor Kevin Spacey, who dispenses with his sardonic side and gives vivid life to the internal conflict and quiet blossoming of Quoyle — a decent but dispirited chap who moves with his 9-year-old daughter from a tragic situation in the Northeastern U.S. to the weather-beaten desolation of a fishing village in Newfoundland. Once settled, Quoyle begins to emerge from his emotional cocoon. He gets a job as a reporter at the local paper, gaining confidence and uncovering long-buried secrets, even as he's reproved by a bitter editor. Spacey is supported by three exemplary actresses: fiery Cate Blanchett, indelible as the hell-raising mother of Quoyle's child; crusty Judi Dench as the aunt who brings Quoyle to his ancestral Newfoundland home; and angelic Julianne Moore as a single mom who runs the town's day-care center. But the film, directed elegantly by Lasse Hallstrom ("Chocolat") and based on E. Annie Proulx's novel, is foremost a showcase for Spacey's versatility.