Sometimes when watching a “based on true events” film you forget that that’s exactly what it is……true.
I apologise in advance, this is a bit of a long one. I’m really surprised that this movie didn’t get more exposure before its release. Being based on an event that had such a major environmental impact and involving a huge commercial company I would have thought it would get a lot of publicity. I only saw a couple of posters on the Underground and one trailer for it with a friend who also wanted to see it. Many people I suggested it too hadn’t heard of it at all!
The casting of Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg for a role as serious as this was an interesting choice, I normally enjoy him in more comedic roles. However, I think his performance in this picture was fantastic; he gave us that slightly comedic opening to the film which made the end that much more heartbreaking. He’s also smart (except for annoyingly not grabbing a hard hat at any point during the platform explosion) and is desperate to save as many people as he can.
John Malkovich plays a BP “company man” and you HATE him! Again, Malkovich has been slightly clownish in many recent roles, but he also gave a great performance as the greedy business man driven by money, meeting deadlines and of course that black gold. After the explosion, Malkovich’s character changes and we see an internal struggle between human emotion and company loyalty. He must save face and not admit fault, even after watching several men die.
Malkovich and Wahlberg gave stand out performances; however, they were also joined by Kurt Russel, who played the rig supervisor “Mr Jimmy”. A very strong individual who was caught in between maintaining the safety on board the drilling platform, and the demands of the BP representatives. Russel and Wahlberg showed great chemistry together and both had to go head-to-head with Malkovich but in different ways; Russel’s approach was straight to the point and aggressive, whereas Wahlberg was reserved and intelligent.
The supporting roles were played by Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) and Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin, TV). O’Brien’s character seemed a little redundant at first, being a “grunt” type working the drill; but later he reveals secret skills that conveniently come in handy. Rodriguez was the only female on the rig that I noticed and remained on the bridge maintaining the position of the floating platform. Her most interesting scene was not her escape from the burning platform, but the face-off between her and the captain. Another display of company demand versus human instinct.
As I said, the lighthearted opening combined with the banter and rapport of the crew makes the end just horrific to watch. The action is very well shot putting you right in the smoke, oil and flames. And the inclusion of an oil drenched sea-bird unable to fly was just another example of the impact of the event. Then came that dreaded text at the end of the film………
These are the 11 men that actually lost their lives that night and the battle to stop the seemingly infinite fire. Videos of the men with their families were shown, as well as the legal aftermath. US Government figures estimated 4.2m barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf over 87 days in 2010. We are informed that BP was cleared of manslaughter, although the script of the film convinces you otherwise.
My friend and I are found ourselves poking a bit of fun at certain points of the film, the hard hat negligence to name just one, all that was stripped away by the end message and I was most definitely tearing up.
This is one of those films where you know you will leave having lost faith humanity, but you will watch it again because at least someone is speaking up.
t grossing movie out of the original trilogy, but personally, I believe that was more down to the hype of the second film, rather than the substance. After the intense, espionage thriller that was the first film, director John Woo was bought in, and totally changed up the film. Woo is known for his over the top actions scenes, and this film had it all. Slow motion, sliding with two guns in hand, doves! The plot was very generic, and the villain forgettable. What made the original great was its spy element, they tried to make this film more ‘Bond’ like, and it just didn’t work. For me, its the worst of the bunch!
There wasn’t anything seriously wrong with the 3rd installment, it was a perfectly good film, with a stellar cast, including the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, and the introduction of Benji, played by Simon Pegg, who has since become a fan favorite and series regular. The movie does do well in providing a more human side to the superspy persona of Ethan Hunt, showing a much more vulnerable side to him. J.J Abrams does a solid job after the disappointment of the 2nd film, but the feeling of franchise fatigue and a straightforward betrayal story line didn’t really entice anyone, with people asking if a third installment was even required!
The original, and probably the finest of the original 3 movies. To be honest, the CIA break-in scene alone makes the film stand tall. But it is so much more then that! Brain De Palma creates a cerebral thriller which not only had several action scenes, but also moments that required you to pay attention to a plot which could get complex, but it pays off in the end. Watching it for the first time when i was younger, the film was rather messy, but its on future viewings when you can really appreciate how all the plot points come together, and the end game is revealed. It’s startling how different this film is, compared to it’s direct sequel. There’s no slow motion, no corny action, just pure suspense!
It’s probably fair to split the franchise into 2 parts. The first 3, then the following films. Both Rogue Nation, and Ghost Protocol have been by the biggest success of the series, and it’s not hard to see why! It’s a difficult decision in deciding which one I prefer, but personally, one scene in GP probably tips it in its favour. But make no mistake, RN is still not only one of the best MI films, but probably one of the most polished action films in recent times. The opening scene involving the plane taking off is ridiculously well done, and edge of your seat stuff. Though the scenes during the Opera at the Vienna Opera House is personally one of my favourite scenes in film. The entire scene goes perfectly with ‘Nessun Dorma’ being preformed in the background, the choreography is simply amazing.
talker) & Beetle (the comic relief!) in his quest to retrieve the 3 pieces of the magic armour, the key in defeating the main antagonist.
MaConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes & George Takei. All of whom bring the characters to life. Art Parkinson from Game of Thrones fame does a fine job with the title character.
Silver Screen Show 