Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22341 in DVD
• Format: NTSC
• Original language: English
• Running time: 177 minutes

Customer Reviews

Don't Miss this Political Thriller/Dark Satire
This political thriller/satire is a joy for those of us who prefer the drama of ideas over car chases and explosions: although an explosion plays a key factor in the final plot twist of this excellent production. This Canadian miniseries is a doozy of a commentary on the politcal relationship between the USA and Canada and the politics of water: a resource even more primal and more sought after than oil.

It starts with the murder of the Canadian prime minister and his son's assumption to power,then careens through conspiracy, megolamania, a plan to drain the Great Lakes, and the breakdown of a stable country.

Elements of this miniseries remind me of "Dr. Strangelove" that great satire from the Cold War era. No one rides a nuclear warhead down to detonation, but the conspirators ride an equally insane plot to the unexpected, but not unbelievable end. Paul Gross does not "Sig Heil" with black leather gloves, but under the sohpisticated and glossy veneer, his character is as much a megalomaniac as Strangelove himself. Although Gross is the catalytic character, he is part of an excellent ensemble cast.

The director moves the story forward through a combination of flashbacks, and intercuts of people acting simultaneously in different locations It is skillfully done and easy to follow. Viewers in the USA, may find obscure some of the references to the First Nations and the separatist movement within French Canada: one follows the thought but misses the "colors and reverberations" around it.

H2O was engrossing because of the ideas expressed; I watched it twice immediately, but found none of the characters engaged my empathy with the exception of a police officer doomed to die early in the game. And I have to add that if the "facts" about the acquifer in the Midwest is at all close to the truth, this film is scarier in the ramifications than any "Night of the Living Dead." This is not quite a five star film because there is a plot element that is a little thin, but it is better than only four stars.

Smart, witty television from Paul Gross (again)
Having Paul Gross write, produce and star in any production should be like having a licence to print money. I hope the reason he has not gone completely "Hollywood" is by choice and not lack of opportunities.

This film is a riviting piece of work. Relevant politcial intrigues and amazing charters dominate this film. The ending is unexpected but completely logical given current realities and the clues in the film. Best three hours I have spent in months.

Hot parliamentary action
Do you like Parliamentary procedure? Do you like dark, post 9/11 speculative drama? Then this is the thriller for you. Actually, you don't have to love the Westminster system of Government to follow this brutal little number, but understanding what a vote of confidence is and why the Governor General would get involved is probably a help. The suspense builds throughout H2O and no-one is spared the consequences of their actions. Very satisfying, building a believable if extreme plot centered around the Prime Minister's death, with an ending that absolutely does not cop out. Mandatory viewing if you question the ends to which various Governments have used "War on Terror" rhetoric to further policies that would have been unthinkable otherwise.