Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes!
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Of course!
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 115 minutes (~2 hours)
“Black Sea” is an underwater thriller that revolves around a submarine captain who goes on a quest for sunken treasure. But what is ostensibly a straightforward salvage mission turns out to be a far more dangerous trip than anyone can imagine. It stars Jude Law (Robinson), Scoot McNairy (Daniels), and Ben Mendelsohn (Fraser). It is rated NC-16.
“Black Sea” is not just a surprisingly good film, it could very well be one of the best films of the year. It gives us intense conflicts with physical and moral treasure hanging in the balance, and is grounded in fundamental human emotions. “Black Sea” shows us the worst that humanity has to offer, but contrasts it with the best traits of the human race as well.
Highlights
Powerful and personal conflicts
The battle of wills between the characters is inevitable, given the strong personalities of the entire crew. What exacerbates this is the literal physical proximity of the characters – they have no choice but to interact with each other. This results in tense confrontations fraught with simmering resentment, and both emotional and incendiary explosions.
Uncomfortable sense of claustrophobia
The tight shots and close angles, combined with the characters being forced to constantly stand within each other’s personal space, creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that helps you empathise with how the crew members are feeling. If you, as a spectator, are already squirming watching the narrow passageways of the submarine, what more do the actual characters living there feel?
Palpable degradation of Robinson’s character
The central character, Robinson, undergoes a tremendous character change as a result of circumstances. The change is almost tangible, as you see how his priorities and motivations have shifted so drastically. Jude Law does an excellent job of portraying this moral decay, both physically and emotionally.
Insights into human morality and character
Much like “Lord of the Flies,” “Black Sea” shows us what can happen when humanity is left to their own devices, with no authority to govern their actions or punish wrongdoing. Everything goes to the dogs once the characters are left to their own devices, forcing us to look inward and reflect on whether we would behave any differently.
Letdowns
Bad CGI
The opening scenes of the submarine exterior and descent are terrible. They look cheap and rushed, and almost break the verisimilitude of the movie. Fortunately, we never see the shoddy graphics again, and that awful segment is quickly forgotten.
When the only letdown of the movie is its poor CGI, you can be assured that”Black Sea” is a magnificent cinematic showcase. The film blends thrills with character development, giving us an unforgettable tale set in a fantastic location. It could very well be one of the best movies of 2015 – but we still have another 10 more months to go. Catch it in cinemas now!
“Black Sea” opens in cinemas 12 February, 2015 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore.
It’s a fun movie. Gets a tad bit crazy by the end, but still kept me excited enough to say the least. Good review.