MOVIE OF THE WEEK (12/11/15): IN THE HEART OF THE SEA"
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| "Fire in the ... Wait, that's water – and that's a blowhole ... And it's comin' right for us!" The surviving members of the Essex whaling ship prepare to come into contact with a massive white whale in a scene from director Ron Howard's IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, the story of the incident that inspired Herman Melville's classic Moby Dick. Credit: © 2015 Warner Bros. Entertainment and Ratpac-Dune Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved. |
WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland, Frank Dillane and Michelle Fairley
WRITER(S): Charles Leavitt (screenplay); Charles Leavitt, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (story); Nathaniel Philbrick (novel In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex on which the film is based)
DIRECTOR(S): Ron Howard
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): The "story behind the story that inspired Herman Melville's classic Moby Dick," In the Heart of the Sea stars Ben Whishaw as the famed author who is on a quest to learn more about the famed sinking of the Essex. The Essex, you see, was a ship that left Nantucket in 1820 on a pursuit of bringing back whale oil, an essential product at the time. But the Essex as you may have noticed earlier sank after encountering a white whale unlike any other creature its captain–by-birthright-but-not-by-skill George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), farming-family-born-but-most-skilled-member-aboard-the-ship first mate (Chris Hemsworth) or anyone else aboard has ever seen.
Unfortunately, the man he's come to see – Tom Nickerson (Breendan Gleeson, portrayed as a youth on the ship by Tom Holland) – isn't exactly in a mood to relive that experience and talk to Melville. Given that he's the last surviving member of the crew, Melville is relentless in his pursuit to get the true story that would go on to make him famous ... But once he finally gets Nickerson to start talking, he quickly learns why certain things that happen are best left in the heart – Oh you get it!
Unfortunately, the man he's come to see – Tom Nickerson (Breendan Gleeson, portrayed as a youth on the ship by Tom Holland) – isn't exactly in a mood to relive that experience and talk to Melville. Given that he's the last surviving member of the crew, Melville is relentless in his pursuit to get the true story that would go on to make him famous ... But once he finally gets Nickerson to start talking, he quickly learns why certain things that happen are best left in the heart – Oh you get it!
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who enjoy survival tales; people who are fascinated by Moby Dick
WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN'T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? People that are familiar with the usual twists of movies based on historical events; those who have trouble feeling invested in the characters as the story moves forward
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? In the Heart of the Sea is a film that ... Is fine. It's not an epic story which enthralls you, but it's certainly not a complete disaster, either. It's just ... there. Let me try to explain.
Ever seen a movie that while it doesn't move you, it does keep your attention once it finally gets moving? In the Heart of the Sea is one of those types of films. While you're really never that invested in the characters because the situation is the true star of the film, Hemsworth, Murphy and Gleeson especially do their best to keep you tuned in as you watch the former suffer once they encounter the whale and the latter does his best to make you feel his pain in re-living the experience. Yet, for whatever reason – perhaps it's the "been there, seen this" nature of the story OR director Ron Howard's decision to not show the grisliest parts of the film, once the whale has disappeared off screen, your interest will naturally wane – and that is the main problem.
For a film built around billing itself as the story behind the story of Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea essentially begins and ends with the whale. It's not that the aftermath of the tale isn't harrowing; it's just that unlike a movie like say Room, once you see the big, expected moment, the latter moments aren't compelling enough – or at least not in the way they are presented – to keep you enthralled.
That is not to suggest that the second half of the film after the climax is bad, for it is exactly the reverse of the first half which feels a bit plodding in anticipation of getting to the whale. The whale is the most intriguing element of the picture and once he leaves the scene, so does much of the inherent intrigue. While each actor plays his part fine, the characters as a whole lack anything about them to stand out compared to their multi-ton co-star, or at least in delivering anything other than standard conflicts and heartaches. (There's a reason the shark doesn't die until the end of Jaws, you know ...)
All things considered, In the Heart of the Sea looks great on screen but, unless you are really into boats, scurvy, dehydration and unshaven men drifting at sea, fails to captivate your senses where you'll want to spend much time with it on an extended voyage.
Ever seen a movie that while it doesn't move you, it does keep your attention once it finally gets moving? In the Heart of the Sea is one of those types of films. While you're really never that invested in the characters because the situation is the true star of the film, Hemsworth, Murphy and Gleeson especially do their best to keep you tuned in as you watch the former suffer once they encounter the whale and the latter does his best to make you feel his pain in re-living the experience. Yet, for whatever reason – perhaps it's the "been there, seen this" nature of the story OR director Ron Howard's decision to not show the grisliest parts of the film, once the whale has disappeared off screen, your interest will naturally wane – and that is the main problem.
For a film built around billing itself as the story behind the story of Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea essentially begins and ends with the whale. It's not that the aftermath of the tale isn't harrowing; it's just that unlike a movie like say Room, once you see the big, expected moment, the latter moments aren't compelling enough – or at least not in the way they are presented – to keep you enthralled.
That is not to suggest that the second half of the film after the climax is bad, for it is exactly the reverse of the first half which feels a bit plodding in anticipation of getting to the whale. The whale is the most intriguing element of the picture and once he leaves the scene, so does much of the inherent intrigue. While each actor plays his part fine, the characters as a whole lack anything about them to stand out compared to their multi-ton co-star, or at least in delivering anything other than standard conflicts and heartaches. (There's a reason the shark doesn't die until the end of Jaws, you know ...)
All things considered, In the Heart of the Sea looks great on screen but, unless you are really into boats, scurvy, dehydration and unshaven men drifting at sea, fails to captivate your senses where you'll want to spend much time with it on an extended voyage.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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