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| Source: Imdb |
I honestly thought this drama about the great oil disaster of 2010 would
be totally lame, but this was really well done, especially from a technical
perspective, and with great acting, too. The script was just a bit aimless and
it remained unclear what the point of the story was going to be, even when the
action really started in the second half. Was it the saving of the crew? The
evacuation? The extinction of the fire? The clean-up? The trial? The end point of
the movie could have been any of those, but the fact that I didn’t really know
somewhat flattened the tension arch and left the actual ending feeling somehow
lose, hanging in the air with so much more story to tell. Also, a thing I found
not credible at all was that the people indoors (i.e. in the workshop, in the
shower or on the bridge) would not feel (and hear) the vibrations and the
massive jolts from the explosions going on, and thus be utterly blindsided by
the chaos. Even on large ships, you can feel big waves. This was so much more! So I would say that's a major flaw in the script.
I was
really surprised by the acting in this film. Everybody, down to the last
supporting cast member, was just extremely competent and gave really natural,
visceral performances. With Mark Wahlberg as the lead, as well as John Malkovich
and Kurt Russell in the wings, this had some names attached to it, and
with good reason: what looks like a cheap straight-to-DVD project at first
glance is actually a serious production about corporate greed and irresponsible
money-grabbing with total disregard for human life and the environment (though
I did feel that the environmental aspect was not expanded on nearly enough).
Visually,
this was also executed by a team who knew their stuff. Make-up and prosthetics
were excellent, making any injuries really cringy. CGI on the fire and
explosions looked very convincing, as did the practical effects. The power
of the elements was almost palpable and the actors brilliantly communicated the
devastating helplessness when confronted with them. Editing seemed a bit slower
than on other action movies I have seen, but in my view this served to emphasise
the shock state people are in. Good choice! Everything was topped off by a
magnificent score by Steve Jablonsky that blended in perfectly with the
atmosphere.
All in all,
I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. It was nail-biting and
captivating, dramatic and horrifying. 4/5
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