One morning you go out with a busy dive boat, and everyone is really hyped and eager to see what these waters have to offer. The guide mentions sharks, which gets everyone excited, but also tells you they tend to be a bit shy and while you may see one or two, they won't bother you at all.
You and your husband are experienced divers and make a note of exactly where the boat is, and what time you have to be back, so off the two of you go on an amazing underwater adventure. Everyone who goes into the water is counted off by the guide, who himself then gets in to lead the dive.
In the meantime, a woman and her husband come back up to the boat, as she is unable to equalize, and another chap, who forgot his mask borrows hers, and goes down with her husband, as this boat doesn't allow people to dive solo. The dive rep who stays on board, does not record these changes on the count sheet.
Suddenly, you notice time is almost up, so you and your husband start to make your way back to the boat to rejoin the others. What has happened in your absence however is that the dive guide has counted the no mask guy and the non-equalising women's husband twice, and thinking he has accounted for everyone, the boat leaves.
You come up to the surface and the boat is gone - it's now an unswimable spec in the distance. After an hour or so the cold, sinking realisation dawns on you that for whatever reason, you have been forgotten, and left out in open water in the middle of the ocean. And you have no idea if and when anyone will come to find you.
And then suddenly, you realise you are not alone....
This is the gripping setting for the love it or hate it film 'Open Water', and my verdict is that I am one of the loved it people, but I hated the ending. My god, maybe I'm living in la la land, but I feel sure I saw the real couple (whom the film is based on) being interviewed and laughing about how they survived, as you can only laugh after such a horrific ordeal. Wrong! That must have been the actors talking about their experiences during shooting. The film had a very sad ending, and no one knows what actually happened to the real couple, they were never found.
I thought the film was also a good study of how people relate to each other and how arguments form and the directions they go in, and how we react in stressful situations. After all they went through, you really wanted them to make it. I also liked the way it was shot, very hand held docu, which I thought suited the subject, but some people don't like this about the film.
Not sure if I'll be doing any more swimming in the sea mind you.
I took part in my first TV shoot yesterday. I'd love to say it was fabulous and I'm a natural, but that would be lying. I was terrified, and joined two other terrified ladies called Sarah and Janet, and we all sat around talking about how it was our first time as extras, and how we didn't have a clue what awaited us. The producer was a nice guy and tried to set our minds at ease, but was unable to give too much away as they wanted our reactions to be spontaneous.
Production time costs a lot of money, and they cannot risk not being able to find people willing to participate off the street, so they sometimes use extras, who are briefed only to the point that they will be asked a few questions, or asked to do something, like we were. The whole thing has to feel real and natural.
And then it was showtime and I got to meet a well known UK celeb (whom I happen to like a lot), and I was asked to do something rather embarrassing, but which I did because I wanted to be professional. It was all for a laugh and done in a very professional way, but we also happened to be in a shopping mall and crowds of people started to gather which made me feel even more nervy.
My biggest problem when I get nervous is that my whole body stiffens, even my voice, and I land up sounding like Elizabeth Hurley had she spent some time living in South Africa. My accent has become diluted over the last 10 years, but whenever I am nervous or reading it goes straight to RP. I have no idea why this happens but it's some sort of reflexive thing left over from drama school, and I must sound very odd.
Throughout the whole thing I kept thinking to myself, this is not me, I am merely playing a part, which is how I manage to deal with embarrassing situations. I just wish I wasn't so nervous and could have enjoyed it more, but it all kind of feels like a hazy memory now, and I have no idea how the finished product is going to look. On the tube back home scenes kept coming back to me in snatches, the way memories of a drunken night out do, and each time I shook my head and thought, "Oh god, I can't believe I did that."
Robert finds the whole thing extremely funny, as he would. I'm going to watch it on TV, and if it's not too painful, I'll make an mpeg and stick it on here for your amusement. After all, about a million other people will get to see it, so whom I kidding?
Photo: Great White shark c/o cstl-cla.semo.edu/zeller
Credit: mark-rayan-pua.blogspot.com
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