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Oh, thank goodness - their little pirate ship broke. At least now I can get back to delivering
this cargo ship full of Lunchables and Hot Pockets to the good people of Mombassa...
because this is Movie Night!
Hello and welcome to Movie Night, arriving a few days late because I had some unscheduled
computer upgrades to deal with... but on the bright side, this is the first episode edited
on Premiere Pro CC. Anyway, I'm your host, Jonathan Paula. Tonight we'll take to the
high seas to review some ocean-related dramas, beginning with "The Perfect Storm".
This biographical disaster film by accomplished German director Wolfgang Peterson earned back
nearly triple its $120-million dollar budget following its June 2000 release. The 130-minute
feature is based on the heartbreaking true events surrounding the unique and intensely
unique titular weather event that ravaged the North east Atlantic in October of 1991.
For individuals from the affected areas , like myself, who saw the storm's power firsthand
- this film certainly hits close to home. The opening credits sequence is a beautiful
tribute to all those who make their living on the ocean, especially Gloucester, Massachusetts,
in particular. Although taking some artistic license during the third-act, the story follows
a group of fisherman looking for the last big haul of the season, when their rickety
fishing boat, the Andrea Gail gets caught up in the massive nor'easter. The ship's captain,
the ruggedly handsome George Clooney, leads the all-star cast with a decently believable
Boston accent, and plenty of charm, as his foolhardy determination unfortunately puts
his fishing exhibition at risk. He proudly reminiscences with his female counterpart,
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, "You're a *** swordboat captain! Is there anything better
in the world?" - it's a poignant line that caps off a stirring monologue, one which is
repeated at the end of the film with great effectiveness. Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly,
William Fictner, and John Hawkes make up his fisherman deckhands - with outstandingly relatable
performances. The talented cast also includes the beautiful Diane Lane as the weeping girlfriend
who stays ashore, Michael Ironside as the gruff boat owner, and a standout role from
Rusty Schwimmer, as the unlikely romantic foil for Hawkes. Meanwhile Bob Gunton, Cherry
Hones, and Karen Allen also contribute great moments in a parallel story that although
tense and interesting, really only serves to bog-down the main event. Backed a inspirational
and pardon the pun, swelling score form James Horner - it's hard not to get swept up in
the emotion of this film, and its characters - six men lost deep at sea during the storm
of the century, fighting for survival, and for each other. One especially riveting scene
arrives late, when Clooney risks life and limb to severe a swinging anchor, that threatens
to fly back and damage the boat. The writing is on the proverbial wall from the outset...
but your heart will refuse to read it. Masterfully directed by Petersen, the PG-13-rated nail-biter
is well-edited, perfectly blending gritty close-ups with gliding crane-shots. Although
a bit too cliché at times, this is an otherwise wonderful, and realistic film with plenty
of re-watch value, "The Perfect Storm", "Powerfully rewarding thriller with charisma". Now lets
check out some of your reviews.
Our scores... a SEVEN and an EIGHT. You applauded the acting and action, but faulted the plot,
even though it was based on real events - you thought "The Perfect Storm" was COOL. It certainly
helps that I grew up just down the road from where this picture takes place, but I've always
enjoyed it every time I watch. I thought it was GREAT. While we're on the subject of disasters
films... what is your favorite in that category? Leave your response as a comment below. Second
tonight is "The Guardian."
Released in late September 2006, and directed by Andrew Davis - this $80-million dollar
film only earned $15-million in profit. Kevin Costner and Aston Kutcher star in this action-adventure
drama film that focuses on the life and training of the United State Coast Guard's elite rescue
swimming team. Neal McDonough, Melissa Sagemiller, and Clancy Brown round out the supporting
cast with commendable contributions, but the real focus on this picture is Costner and
Kutcher. Costner is an extremely proficient rescue diver, capable of saving everything
but his failing marriage. Whereas Kutchner is the hot-shot trainee more focused on breaking
swimming records than saving lives. Both men are brilliant in their respective teacher
/ student roles, bouncing off each other with charged performances, especially in one emotional
scene where Costner opens up about his troubled past, advising his protégé, " Save the ones
you can. The rest, you've got to let go." Bookended by positively thrilling rescue-sequences
on the turbulent seas in the Gulf of Alaska, the majority of the picture is your typical
"boot camp" story... as we watch a group of promising cadets go through every test of
endurance and skill to prove their readiness, as only 280 make the cut from a pool of 39,000.
The 139-minute feature doesn't break any new ground during this middle-portion, but it's
competently executed with effective use of Trevor Rabin's hory-heavy score and some brisk
editing. With one lone exception however, the requisite training montage was stylistically,
but curiously, filmed on low-definition video. An impressive chunk of the water scenes were
filmed in a giant indoor pool built specially for this production... but its incorporation
is so flawless, you never notice. The pacing of this picture never feels slow, but it does
seem to contain a bit too much story for its own good, the middle training academy portion
honestly could have been its own standalone movie. What "Top Gun" is to fighter pilots,
this fun and re-watchable experience is to the US Coast Guard. The PG-13 rated adventure
is capped off with a beautifully resounding epilogue that definitely stayed with me. Although
fairly predictable and formulaic, this is a wonderful film that will make you laugh,
cry, and of course, appreciate the real men and women who serve around the world. The
Guardian", "Long-winded, but occasionally inspiring."
Here's my final score... a SEVEN. Although fairly contrived and familiar, this picture
definitely works, least of all because of its talented lead actors - I thought it was
COOL. And now, your weekly reminder to subscribe to the Movie Night Archive for exclusive trailer
commentaries, and an organized library of every review I've done to date. Speaking of
which, here's number 333.
Based on the true events of a 2009-hihacking at sea in the Indian Ocean, this picture has
already quadrupled its $55 million dollar budget, and scored six Academy Award nominations,
following its October 11, 2013 release. Veteran A-lister Tom Hanks stars in the title role
of this taut and suspenseful 134-minute picture directed by the talented Paul Greengrass,
who previously wowed audiences with the brilliant "United 93". Although snubbed for a nomination,
Hanks brings his absolute best, showcasing a marvelous performance that'll having you
rooting for him the whole way - especially in his finale scene, where he's really pushed
to the brink of human emotion, overcome with shock and disbelief at his circumstances.
Sticking to what he's known for, Greengrass relies heavily on a handheld cinéma vérité
style, which works well to illicit a documentary-feeling, but becomes noticeably claustrophobic and
by the picture's end. Another Greengrass trademark is populating his cast with no name participants,
and this film includes a breakout role from Barkad Abdi as the lead pirate, who sternly
warns Hanks after taking over his cargo ship, "I'm the captain now". His performance here
is not only terrifying, believable, and occasionally even relatable, it also scored him an Oscar
nomination. The remainder of the cast is largely inconsequential, including Catherine Keener,
who is featured as Hanks' wife, but is gone after only three minutes of screen time. Breathlessly
tense throughout, the adversarial relationship between Adbi and Hanks showcases all the cunning
strategy of a chess match, with each player positioning himself to come out on top. The
subtle score from Henry Jackson is used sparingly, instead dropping out entirely to allow for
the actor's own anxiety to carry each scene, especially in the stressful bridge-takeover
sequence. Although it takes a while to really get going, and many portions are repetitive
and dragged out, if for no other reason than historical accuracy, the movie is - thankfully,
incredibly realistic - with production taking place on an actual contain ship, on the open
ocean, with actual Somali actors playing the pirates. The PG-13 rated experience doesn't
make any political statements about the heroism or sensibility of the massive rescue operation,
nor does it ever escape the small physical confines of its story, leaving everything
feeling very immediate, but unfinished. However, as a believable and dramatic thriller, it
certainly accomplishes. "Captain Phillips", "Captivating portrayal of harrowing events."
Here are some of your thoughts now from the comments.
A double EIGHT for "Captain Phillips", while praise was obviously unanimous for Hanks'
outstanding performance, criticism over the length, and familiar hostage-scenario theme
resulting in you rating this a GREAT. I have to agree... if this film wasn't released after
Labor Day, it's doubtful it would have even scored a Best Picture nomination... but definitely
a enjoyable time, I thought it was GREAT as well. Finally tonight, let's take a look at
your Tweet Critiques to see what you're saying about films currently playing in theaters.
If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag. Next week
we'll be visiting Boston, Massachusetts to review some contemporary classics, "Good Will
Hunting", "Mystic River", and "The Town". Once you've seen these films, share your opinions
by voting in the polls below, or by leaving a comment review. If you'd like to watch more
Movie Night reviews, check out the "related videos" on the right, or click SUBSCRIBE to
be notified of all new content, and be sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+
for updates between episodes. Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula, thank you for watching
and listening. Until next time, have a good Movie Night!