Dead Calm

I've seen this several times over the years, and I must say this is a really good thriller. It always keeps me interested. Also, since I'm interested in the sea and ships, that's probably part of the reason why I like the movie so much.

A young Nicole Kidman plays Rae, the wife of John Ingram (Sam Neill), who are taking a sailing trip in the Pacific after losing their only son in an automobile accident. They are having fun sailing through the ocean when they come to a sinking schooner with a man paddling frantically towards their boat in a lifeboat. The man, Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane), turns out to be a crazed lunatic, and when John goes off to check the schooner, Hughie kidnaps his wife and his ship. They are in the fight of their life.

Nicole Kidman is both beautiful and talented. She doesn't say much in the movie, but her expressions and actions are well portrayed. Billy Zane is a convincing psychopath and Sam Neill is a good actor also. The cinematography is great and the scenery is really beautiful. The only real problem with the movie is the plot.

The movie's conflict could've easily been resolved had it not been for stupid mistakes. The script relies too heavily on these stupid mistakes. Nicole's character gets numerous chances to kill the psychopath, but she never takes them. And anyone in their right mind wouldn't leave their wife with a stranger to check out a strange ship. The characters' lack of common sense is really what keeps the story moving.

But, these plot holes can be forgiven. The acting is great, the direction is great, the cinematography is great. The script could've used more work, but that is forgivable. If you enjoy thrillers or are interested in the sea and ships, I suggest you check this movie out. You won't be disappointed.

Rating: 8/10

You've got three actors, two old boats, a big ocean, and ninety minutes to fill. So you better have your ducks in a row, otherwise the package is going to sink faster than the proverbial lead balloon. Fortunately, the folks in charge here know what to do, and the void turns into a real nail-biter. Darn near everything but the kitchen sink is thrown into the action, and I may have even seen that float by.

After a 100+ reviews, two comments might be helpful. Note that in the struggle to survive, Hughie's (Zane) main adversary is not the expected other male, John (Neill), Rae's husband. Instead, John spends his time trying to keep his head above water in that broken-down old schooner, a long way from the malevolent Hughie. No, it's up to the girl Rae (Kidman) to save the day any way she can, without the expected masculine help. Good thing, Hughie's got an eye for her "fine-boned head" and certain other features, otherwise she's a dead duck in the first five minutes. Thus, the real contest is a resourceful woman versus an unpredictable man that breaks with the long-established convention of combat "mano y mano". And this departure, I take, to be a reflection of a surging feminist movement then making its way into popular screenplays.

Another sign of the times is the anti-climax "add-on". In the old studio days, killing a guy once was usually enough. Then, after the bad guy was dispatched, the audience could relax and await a return to normalcy for the good guys. However, clever modern filmmakers found they could supply a surprise extra jolt by breaking with convention and bringing the menace back from the apparent dead. That way, the audience can never feel secure enough to relax, and suspense is kept on high right up to fade-out.

The price they pay, however, is moving from a semblance of reality into the realm of cartoon violence. Here, Rae hits Hughie with everything but a laser blast. So how does Hughie, who appears to be a mere mortal like the rest of us, survive to provide that extra jolt. As you might guess, only by departing from reality as the rest of us know it. Thus, the structure of the screenplay migrates from "what could happen" into "what happens only in the movies". And, for me, at least, I'm reminded that this is, after all, only make-believe. Nonetheless, the movie really does accomplish a whole lot with a surprisingly very little.

Dead Calm is one of those rare thrillers with good acting, suspense and great setting. The ocean setting really makes this film, as well as the 2 boats. Kidman is a realistic and resourceful character and because the film had only 3 main characters throughout the whole movie, you go through the same emotions the actors do in the film. The ending seemed tacked on, but because the whole film is so good, the ending doesn't hurt nor help the film. Well paced, acted and overall great movie. 9/10

Dead Calm is directed by Australian film maker Philip Noyce (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) and he is very talented director. This film stars young Nicole Kidman (21-22 years old in this film!) as a wife to Sam Neill and they have lost their son in a horrible car accident. They want to get over it and so they go to the sea with their boat and spend several weeks there. All is going fine and they are going to get over the loss of their son, but soon they discover an abandoned looking ship in the horizon and a man (Billy Zane) paddling desperately towards them. The man reaches the ship and the couple helps him on the board. He is little confusing and suspicious and soon his real nature is revealed...

This is extremely pleasant thriller and reminds me of films written by Eric Red (The Hitcher, Near Dark, Blue Steel) and these four films are very similar. The atmosphere in Dead Calm is very haunting and incredibly restrained. The atmosphere is also very similar to David Lynch and Lost Highway and Twin Peaks. The music is very important element in Dead Calm (as is in The Hitcher and Near Dark, too) and the overall feeling is very threatening and ominous. There are many exciting and breath taking scenes such as the one in which Sam Neill is trapped in a boat that is sinking and filling with water. With music, the photography is great and there are definitely no technical flaws in this great and surprisingly effective flick.

The young Nicole Kidman is so talented and acts perfectly. No one can say she can't act. Just look at her face and expressions: she is the main character in here and she is almost in every scene and she does nothing wrong or never acts over the top. The other actor's are also great, Sam Neill and Bill Zane, even though Zane goes little too far in couple of scenes and is not too believable. But overall, because there are so many great elements here, these little flaws and illogical plot turns can be forgiven.

Philip Noyce is worth watching director and he has done also other effective thrillers, but I think this will be one of his greatest achievements. Dead Calm is highly recommended.

8/10

In Dead Calm, we get Sam Neill (before Jurassic Park), Nicole Kidman (before Days of Thunder), and Billy Zane (way before Titanic) in an aquatic thriller. The premise is set up well - a vacationing couple (John & Rae, the Ingrams, after the death of their son in a road accident) on a yacht ends up saving a man from a supposedly sinking ship, far far away from shore. The man (Zane plays Hughie) has some secrets (and creepy traits) that he hides until a pivotal moment arrives.

What's so good about Dead Calm is not its plot - it's the wonderful oceanic cinematography by Dean Semler. The performances too, are first-rate. The storytelling tries to balance John's struggles to survive as the Ingrams get separated, and Rae's personal battle with Hughie on the yacht as he tries to overpower her. John's scenes (with zero dialogue) on the ship are more thrilling than what happens aboard the Ingrams' yacht. As the antagonist, Zane was awkwardly creepy at times and laughably funny at others.

There's also the incoherent twist at the end, which was completely unnecessary. In this case, I'd have preferred the ambiguity. Nonetheless, it's a neat watch for the solid performances and some deliciously packed thrills.