The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

"The Seventh Stream" is beautifully filmed with a deeply romantic score and a story comes from the same vein of Irish folklore that inspired 1994's "Secret of Roan Inish," another good family movie but not, I think, quite as atmospheric or nearly as moving as "The Seventh Stream." Both films are based on the legend of the selkies - gray seals who sometimes take human form, come ashore and interact with humans. The production values are very superior for a made-for-cable flick.Saffron Burrows is nothing short of remarkable as the seal-woman. Viewers drugged by the over-the-top acting styles of so many movies may find her performance too subdued, too quiet, but that's their problem. Some kind of emotion is constantly flickering across her face, which is amazingly expressive. She's by turns mysterious, cold, curious, sultry, beautiful, vulnerable, weird - everything you'd expect to see in a seal-girl.In a less fascinating role, Scott Glenn too is convincing and sympathetic as the hardscrabble middle-aged fisherman to whom the selkie turns for help. There's a lot of talk about the human heart, none of it sappy. Aside from one or two minor cultural goofs that few will care about, the film depicts pretty plausibly life in an Irish fishing village a hundred years ago.There are also one or two minor directorial lapses. When fate deals unkindly with one of the characters, he cries out "Nooooooooooooooo!" in ultra slow-mo. Just like in The Simpsons and elsewhere. But the embarrassing moments take up about two minutes in total, and none is as bad as that.The rest of the film could hardly be improved on as a serious fairy tale for the whole family, unless your family is deeply into pro wrestling and stuff like that.One of the most moving fantasy films I've seen, definitely not sugary or maudlin, and not oozing with CGI. Check it out! I bet they were going to call it originally "The Seventh Seal," but found out that title was taken.

...On a much smaller and more manageable scale. It is so beautiful to see and hear that one can almost smell the salt air. Saffron Burrows gives a surprisingly subtle and nuanced performance, easily the equal of her more experienced cast members. The weakest offering was that on whom the entire enterprise pivots, Scott Glenn, playing Owen Quinn. Here, a range of emotion was require that he did not seem to be able to muster. But the rest of the production was so compelling as to make the whole unsinkable. As for being able to suspend disbelief well enough to entertain the essential fantasy; remember that this story takes place in the land of leprechauns before the coming of such wonders as the horseless carriage!

Scott Glenn provides the understated sense of loss & loneliness. It's his burden in life. He covers so much with his eyes and simple movements. Saffron Burrows well conveys- pardon the pun -the fish out of water but with an awareness of the lives around her.As the summary says: It's romance, folklore and rural life with it's prejudice. It's not complicated just a well presented story with good performances all around.There's a song/story called 'Peter Kagen & the Wind.' I heard it performed by Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy in Dublin years ago. It was on the album of the concert but not on the CD. This is a version of that song.

SPOILERS - This film, "The Seventh Stream" is a throwback to a slower kind of movie with good character development and a fine story which unfolds unfailingly and gradually. It is set on the Irish coast, and is a fairy tale on the myth that certain seals, during occasional weather patterns which result in a "seventh stream", can come out of their skins and assume human form. Scott Glen, an American, plays the central human character, fisherman Quinn, who had lost his wife at sea 5 years ago. The seal turned woman is played by British actress Saffron Burrows.As fate would have it, a selfish and uncaring fisherman finds her skin and brings it to his home. Legend has it that she belongs to him, as long as he has the skin. And, she cannot return to the sea unless she can get her skin back. Suddenly, he is catching boatloads of fish as others try to just keep from starving. But she and others realize he is not a good man. His blind father, keeper of the myths, realizes that and moves the skin to Quinn's property, so she goes to be with him, not quite realizing why. The story in the end is one which has been done often. Is it better to be safe and unfulfilled, or risk everything for a better life? "Chicken Run." "The Truman Show." "Pleasantville". Plus many others. By the time she gets her skin back, she has experienced human life, what it means to have memories, love, and happiness. She wants to stay with Quinn, knowing if she does that she must die shortly. Quinn loves her too, and cannot just watch her die. So, when the Seventh Stream is about to return, he takes her out to sea. In the end, fate must prevail. She returns to the sea, he has regained his zest for life, and the fishing is good. A sweet story, not too syrupy, great scenery, great craggy faces, overall a good telling of a fairy tale.