Deepwater Horizon

A solid disaster flick with some good production and acting, the first half is a little too slow for my taste but after the catastrophe strikes Deepwater Horizon rolls on like a beast.

Deepwater Horizon is the first of two Peter Berg directed films this year, and if Patriots Day is anywhere near as good as this film we could be looking at quite a few nominations for Berg come February.

Deepwater Horizon tells the story of the crew members of the rig of the same name in April 2010, when the largest oil spill in U.S. history began. Berg is always a guy to count on with this type of harrowing true story. He has the skills of an action film director while also having the delicate hand for an emotionally powerful touch. And much like the recently released 'Sully', this film is a strong tale about the power of the human spirit.

Putting Battleship aside, Berg has always had a knack for directing high intensity sequences of trauma and thrills. Even taking that note into a smaller scale with Friday Night Lights, Berg is great at managing to balance intensity and emotion. Deepwater Horizon is perhaps his biggest scale film thus far, but it's also incredibly personal as well. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez, and Kate Hudson. All of them get the opportunity to act in small intimate moments as well as physically demanding scenes.

Usually, it's those small moments that bring the emotions out of me, and that was Kate Hudson here. I feel like she hasn't gotten a lot to do since her breakout with Almost Famous, but this may be the best she's been since. She plays Wahlberg's wife, and it's simply her reactions to the devastation on the oil rig while she's at home, that really got to me. Powerful stuff.

With all that said, sometimes the high octane thrills feel to be heightened just for heightening certain situations. Berg never loses sight of the end goal here, but some 'action'-ish scenes are almost a little too much, considering how contained this story feels. It doesn't take you out of the film, but you will feel like it could have been handled differently.

Like Berg's previous film, Lone Survivor, it does a nice job of honoring those who died at the rig and the families severely affected by the tragedy. It's a powerful film with gripping performances from Hudson and the rest of the cast that will likely lead it right into the awards season come winter time.

+Berg's delicate touch

+Hudson

+Devastating

-Some heightened moments

8.6/10

Deepwater Horizon is a movie that succeeds on two levels: as an action-packed blockbuster and as an honest depiction of a tragic disaster. It's the story of the BP oil rig that exploded and contaminated the Gulf of Mexico. The way Berg directs the sequence of events is well paced and purposefully developmental for a good chunk of the movie. It takes about 45 minutes before the crap hits the fan, during which we're allowed time to get to know the characters - their quirks, their personalities - so we can empathize with their situation. The stakes feel real, as they should (and were), which is a testament to the directing and the acting. Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell dominate in their roles, Russell given the opportunity to remind us why he's one of the biggest stars ever. The supporting cast is excellent, including John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, and Dylan O'Brien, who have chemistry and rapport between other characters (Malkovich and Russell sharing a couple intense moments where not a word is said).

The disaster itself is portrayed brilliantly. The tone remains frantic and the stunning special effects work puts it over the edge. Once things go south, it's a nonstop adrenaline rush till the end. The only reason it's not rated higher is because it's merely a depiction of events, nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary in regards to storytelling. But it didn't have to be. This was a tragic event and the gritty realism shown here is as refreshing as it is intense. If you're in the mood for a deeper-than-average thrill-ride, look no further than Deepwater Horizon.

It's sad to think that Transocean/BP lost nothing, and 11 people lost their lives (and who knows how many millions of animals died from the 210million gallons of oil that was spilled).

Transocean/BP got at least a $500million insurance payout, and who knows how many billions of dollars they made from the Deepwater Horizon rig in the 10years that they operated it. And NOBODY went to prison. 11 people dead and no repercussions.

Anyway, the film is pretty good... I would have liked it if they went into a bit of detail on what all the various terms is that they used like marine riser, annular, EDS, kick, and so on. They used to many terms and jargon that the average viewer is left in the dark. They could maybe even have shown what the capping process looks like in the aftermath of the whole event, as I think the capping process would have been very interesting and would have placed a capper (excuse the pun) on the whole movie.

But it's a good movie to watch if you're interested in the whole event, even-though it does offer only a cursory glance at the causes of the disaster, and spends the majority of the time focusing on the panic & mayhem that happened during the actual explosion.

I read the reviews before I watched it, Generally, an over 7 is usually a decent movie and you won't be disappointed.

I like the technology and the Rig speak, which for guys that work with their hands, just sounds right to the ear.

These guys did a good job of portraying a Gulf of Mexico type Roughneck...Having spent 6 months in Biloxi, you meet the type...A quiet dignity and hellraisers when they're off...You have to respect the intricacies of the work these men do to keep us moving...

I really liked Malkovich's role, he put some meat on that bone; :)...Of course Wahlberg is good in his role too...Nice to see Kurt keeping up too...

If you're looking for subtlety and nuance, this is NOT the type of movie you should watch...If you enjoy watching men risk their lives to serve the nation's energy requirements and the sacrifices and sometimes the ultimate sacrifices, all in the name of the job; you'll be glad you saw it...

Respect to all whose job can kill you...Stay safe.