Review 390: Deepwater Horizon
Deepwater Horison is a grueling, intense, terrifying, but ultimately interesting, exciting, insightful, brilliantly and smartly crafted disaster, survival film about a tragic oil spill.Based on The New York Times article "Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours" by David Barstow, David Rohde and Stephanie Saul. On April 20, 2010, a blowout and explosion on the oil rig Deepwater Horison irreparably damages and sinks the oil rig, releasing thousands of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico, causing the U.S.' worst oil spill. Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and Caleb Holloway (Dylan O'Brian) two of the 126 workers on the rig help orchestrate an escape while their families back home deal with the crisis.
The plot is superb and well balanced. What Deepwater Horison does so well is showcasing the events leading up to the explosion and what became an ongoing ecological disaster. You get to watch the 12 hours that lead up to this horrific event through the eyes of all these different people and all the decisions they had to make in a very challenging situation which is really gripping.
In typical disaster movie fashion, Deepwater Horizon slowly introduces our main characters. The same goes with all the other characters, we are slowly introduced to our main players, we get to know them, what their characters are like, what their roles on the rig are and why they're there and what the operation on the rig is.
The film also does an excellent job of capturing the comradery and teamwork between all the workers working on that rig. How unassuming they were of the disaster that was about to befall them.
The family dynamic between Mike Williams and his wife Felicia (Kate Hudson) is breiefly featured but effectively and believeably constructed
Ultimately, Deepwater Horizon is also quite an inspirational tale in that the film brilliant showcases the bravery and the heroics of the people on that rig but it doesn't do it in a cheesy Hollywood way, it shows it in a way that shows that this was a very scary and enduring experience for these people and yet they overcame it and lived to tell the tale and see their loved ones again.
Director Peter Berg's direction is precise and fierce, constantly keeping up the tension and giving his audience a sense of dread that something nasty is about to happen and when it does, it relentless for the last 45 minutes with chaos raining down on these people and us as an audience for the matter.
The action/disaster scenes in this film genuinely terrifying, disturbing, unsettling and completely and utterly convincing. What's truly astonishing about them is that they're not Hollywoodised at all, nor do they feel like they are. They're really hard hitting and extremely brutal. They fully present to you the idea that this was actually and genuinely a really traumatic, life-or-death experience for everyone on that rig.
The special effects are spectacularly excellent, the cinematography is terrific, the make up is rich and beautifully detailed, the suspense is just genuinely chilling, the score by Steve Jablonsky is striking and energy-filled, the scenery is stunning and the effect of the closing sequence is poigent and deeply affecting.
Mark Wahlberg is given a nice juicy role in this film playing Mike Williams, the film takes its time establishing him as a man who's an average blue collar worker with a family who is completely unassuming of the disaster that was awaiting him.
Kurt Russell is very powerful playing James "Mr. Jimmy" Hayward, not only effectively and appropriately portraying the persons gruff and commanding attitude but he was just getting his seventh award for Safety in a row and then this enormously tragic event happens on his watch.
Kate Hudson in a very reserved role is lovely and sympathetic playing Mike's concerned wife Felicia. She's a tough cookie, who's trying to keep it all together for her and Mike's daughter. Felicia serves as our access point into the film emotionally because she's in the relatable position of waiting for her husband to come off of something dangerous.
Gina Rodriguez is also effectively strong in this film as Andrea Fleytas. Rodriguez expertly conveyed how her character is this 22 year old woman working in a male dominated business and a very high stress job. Also, by focusing on Fleytas bravery, strength and putting those elements front and centre in her performance, Rodriguez successfully portrays a sympathetic and vulnerable individual.
Dylan O'Brian, in a role that sees him step away from teen dramas, is also terrific playing Caleb Holloway, a member of Mike's team. Mike and Caleb
John Malkovich plays an utterly vile character in the role of high ranking BP, Donald Vidrine, Vidrine is the embodyment of BP's neglegence, Malkovich bought a deliciously smarmy energy to the role while also channeling the guy's greedy conviction that nothing could go wrong.
Deepwater Horizon is a spectacular disaster, 4.5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
Ultimately, Deepwater Horizon is also quite an inspirational tale in that the film brilliant showcases the bravery and the heroics of the people on that rig but it doesn't do it in a cheesy Hollywood way, it shows it in a way that shows that this was a very scary and enduring experience for these people and yet they overcame it and lived to tell the tale and see their loved ones again.
Director Peter Berg's direction is precise and fierce, constantly keeping up the tension and giving his audience a sense of dread that something nasty is about to happen and when it does, it relentless for the last 45 minutes with chaos raining down on these people and us as an audience for the matter.
The action/disaster scenes in this film genuinely terrifying, disturbing, unsettling and completely and utterly convincing. What's truly astonishing about them is that they're not Hollywoodised at all, nor do they feel like they are. They're really hard hitting and extremely brutal. They fully present to you the idea that this was actually and genuinely a really traumatic, life-or-death experience for everyone on that rig.
The special effects are spectacularly excellent, the cinematography is terrific, the make up is rich and beautifully detailed, the suspense is just genuinely chilling, the score by Steve Jablonsky is striking and energy-filled, the scenery is stunning and the effect of the closing sequence is poigent and deeply affecting.
Mark Wahlberg is given a nice juicy role in this film playing Mike Williams, the film takes its time establishing him as a man who's an average blue collar worker with a family who is completely unassuming of the disaster that was awaiting him.
Kurt Russell is very powerful playing James "Mr. Jimmy" Hayward, not only effectively and appropriately portraying the persons gruff and commanding attitude but he was just getting his seventh award for Safety in a row and then this enormously tragic event happens on his watch.
Kate Hudson in a very reserved role is lovely and sympathetic playing Mike's concerned wife Felicia. She's a tough cookie, who's trying to keep it all together for her and Mike's daughter. Felicia serves as our access point into the film emotionally because she's in the relatable position of waiting for her husband to come off of something dangerous.
Gina Rodriguez is also effectively strong in this film as Andrea Fleytas. Rodriguez expertly conveyed how her character is this 22 year old woman working in a male dominated business and a very high stress job. Also, by focusing on Fleytas bravery, strength and putting those elements front and centre in her performance, Rodriguez successfully portrays a sympathetic and vulnerable individual.
Dylan O'Brian, in a role that sees him step away from teen dramas, is also terrific playing Caleb Holloway, a member of Mike's team. Mike and Caleb
John Malkovich plays an utterly vile character in the role of high ranking BP, Donald Vidrine, Vidrine is the embodyment of BP's neglegence, Malkovich bought a deliciously smarmy energy to the role while also channeling the guy's greedy conviction that nothing could go wrong.
Deepwater Horizon is a spectacular disaster, 4.5/5.
The Anonymous Critic.
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