Aquarela

Meditative under observative patience over occasional stunning imagery that's probably best to experience theatrically, albeit intangibly directed with no insights given besides being inferiorly wondrous. (B)

There's no real plot or framework to speak of, but the camera work is pretty spectacular. I think many of the scenes could have been cut quite a lot shorter, but there's some pretty interesting stuff here. For example, who knew there were glaciers on Lake Baikal? Not me. -- One thing that could perhaps have made this film better would have been more -- or any -- narration. Not over-the-top non-stop Werner Herzog style narration, but at least a little chatter here and there to let us in on what we're seeing.

I've seen the movie dozens of times. I learned to mute it and play some other music in the background to fully appreciate the depth of the photography and visuals that need no accompaniment. To me it is perfection and I watch it to re-connect to the waters of the world.

About 15 minutes into 'Aquarela' I asked myself why I was watching and what was the purpose of the film. Why should I be interested? There is no narrator. There are some great visuals. Perhaps a short film doc on people driving on ice. I just didn't know what the through line is and why it's a documentary on my screen. The pictures are gorgeous, however we have no connective tissue. There are a few heart stopping moments, but often they continue unchecked and just lead to boredom. A nice try! Final Score: 4.4/10

The movie is just perfectly shot – you will be thrilled by the images. But at the same time, the angle of director's view on the topic is quite questionable – water is seen here only as a cruel nature element and not as a source of life. Lack of a general storyline and inability to identify the places where the shooting was made also make it a bit harder to watch.

Beautiful, but confusing! During most of the film, I had no idea where in the world the cameras were located. Perhaps, locale isn't important, but I would like to have known. After watching, in several sessions, I looked up filming locations. I gave the film 4 stars instead of 5 because of the unknown locations. Also, for me personally, I would have liked knowing who the people were and what they were doing, although the main "stars" and actions are those of water, not humans. Beautiful film!

Half meditative animated wallpaper, half impressive (but not nearly as much as one would expect) demonstration of water rolling this way and that, it will systematically make you feel asleep and then wake you up, if only for another five minutes. A viewing experience you will endure, but with no real pleasure, or, truth be told, any other emotions at all.

A fully immersive cinematic journey into the power and calm of water with an excellent sound track of superbly matched music and ambient sounds. I absolutely must watch this film again in the cinema to get the full benefit of the 3D surround sound and the 96 frames a second slo mo sequences. A definite must see.

As a sailor who lives on and loves the ocean and water, I felt sure that the director/creator feels the same in this visual tone poem to our planet's water element. The editing was top notch, cinematography was astonishing. I am not an expert, and I was aware that people were risking harm getting those shots many times, and the results were worth it! I was mesmerized the entire film, but it isn't for someone who needs action, quick segues or things spelled out for them. I found the message clear, aside from his obvious love of the Sea: the climate is dramatically changing and we must learn to adapt. I advise all of my friends to see this remarkable film.

Ambitious yet disappointing, it may yield excellent visuals and cinematography for documentary buffs but may come off like watching wall/portrait paint dry for hours.