The Finest Hours

I’ve talked before about my love-hate relationship with disaster movies. Why just last year I thoroughly enjoyed Everest, (and seemed to be the only one) whilst other more bombastic films like San Andreas prove to be the steaming-turds they make themselves out to be. It’s rather fitting that most disaster movies by their very nature seem to teeter on the edge of failure, with many falling deep into the abyss of characterless, CGI-driven ludicrousy. For this very reason it’s all the more rewarding to sift through the crap and find those movies that actually bring something to the genre. Disney’s The Finest Hours is not one of those movies 

In 1952 off the New England coastline, a north-easterly shears the oil tanker SS Pendleton in half. The coast guard are dealing with another tanker in a similar position and can’t afford to send all their men to it. Bernard Webber (Chris Pine) is selected to pilot a lifeboat to the Pendleton, a lifeboat which is only designed to hold 12 people, but with 32 crewmen to save. 

It’s clear that the best disaster films hold a close relation to adventure films, whether it be Everest, Twister or All is Lost, there’s something about pioneers/explorers and their tragic destinies that appeal, and like a lot of films it helps if the story is grounded with realism and not Mayan prophecies. The Finest Hours bases itself off the true story of the SS Pendleton, and right off the bat it would be wise to read up before you enter the cinema, because the impenetrable New England accents combined with the gale-force sound effects make it almost impossible to understand what is going on most of the time. Directed by Craig Gillespie of Disney’s Million Dollar Arm, an equally unambitious movie, The Finest Hours seems content with letting melodrama and routine plot drive the movie, and as such it became increasingly difficult to invest in the characters or the events. 

Chris Pine gives a flat uninteresting performance equaled by many of the supporting cast, and honestly the only noteworthy performance was Casey Affleck. There’s an air of the old-fashioned both in the setting and style of this film and thankfully the CGI manages to restrain itself in the big set pieces, although by the time we get to these, any sense of tension is well and truly gone. I do respect the decision to take the time to try and build some of the characters, but as it focuses on two parties - those on the wrecked ship and the coastguard - it still never really gives enough time to any of them whilst still managing to slow the film down and move away from the action. There’s also a love story which feels very much tacked on. 

There’s not a lot more to say about The Finest Hours. Despite, or perhaps due to a surprisingly reserved style of filmmaking it fails to deliver on a story that had potential. Maybe that’s why it’s ended up in the early ‘dumping ground’ period of the year.

The Drop

The film industry is certainly in love with crime...uh, crime movies that is, with far too many gritty scripts launching themselves at the genre from all angles, yet never really differentiating themselves from the last. So how about the latest instalment, Michaël R. Roskam's The Drop? With the late James Gandolfini in a lead role, displaying his criminal-acting prowess for the last time, I was certainly keen to find out.

Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) works as a bartender in his cousin Marv's (James Gandolfini) bar. Once owned by Marv, but purchased by Chechen criminals, the bar operates as a front for money-laundering, having packages dropped off regularly. Whilst Bob and Marv try to stay out of the underhand business, the bar proves to be trouble for the cousins, beginning with an armed robbery that leaves the pair in debt to their Chechen employers.

Meanwhile, whilst walking home one evening, Bob finds an injured pit-bull abandoned in a bin and is helped by Nadia (Noomi Rapace), who owns the house, to nurse it back to health. Bob agrees to take the dog and names it Rocco, which is fine, until the dogs owner comes looking for Bob.

I have to admit, I became rapidly disinterested with this rather simple, yet still somewhat far-fetched plot. It's not like The Drop is particularly similar to most crime films, but it doesn't really bring much new to the genre either. There were some funny moments here and there, but generally I found that it just progressed a bit too slowly for my liking.

Tom Hardy continues to prove that he's an adept and talented actor, especially with his previous film Locke, and he's certainly great here too, albeit with a sometimes questionable Brooklyn accent. James Gandolfini also gives a strong final performance, though I found it difficult to imagine him as anybody other than Tony Soprano. Rapace wasn't bad as Nadia, though she could have probably been developed more as a character, and other than that, almost all of the supporting roles play idiots.

Continuing the trend of dark, gritty crime films, The Drop has a dull colour pallet, that envisages Brooklyn as one of the most dreary places on earth. The interesting use of camera angles and tracking shots in some of the montage sequences were refreshing, but generally The Drop doesn't have anything new to offer in the image department.

With strong performances from Hardy and Gandolfini, and some visually compelling sequences, The Drop is far from a bad film. There are plenty of interesting plot elements that differentiate it from the average crime feature, but its slow pace failed to keep me particularly interested.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook is an uplifting movie about mental illness. It asks us what is normal and that everyone is crazy in their own little way.

It follows the story of Pat (Bradley Cooper), who has just been released from a mental health clinic after an eight month stint there because he nearly beat to death the man who his wife was having an affair with. He is then diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, which had previously gone undiagnosed. As he is trying to re-assimilate with normal life and planning a way to get back with his wife (who has a restraining order on him) from his parents attic (played by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), he runs into an old friend, Ronnie (John Ortiz), who invites him for dinner with his wife. Pat reluctantly agrees to come.

At the dinner, Pat meets Ronnie's sister-in-law, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), who has been dealing with depression since the death of her husband. She is also a recovering sex addict, after losing her job by sleeping with everyone in her office. Pat finds a kindred spirit in Tiffany, who he finds out is able to get a letter to Pat's wife. She will only do this on the condition that Pat will dance with her in an upcoming competition. He agrees to do this because he realises it will demonstrate that he has changed to his wife.

Meanwhile, Pat's father is running a bookie after he lost his job and hopes to open a restaurant with the money that he is making from the bets. He believes that Pat is his lucky charm and makes a big bet on the Philadelphia Eagles and wants Pat to be at the game. Pat has dance practice with Tiffany, but promises to go anyway, telling Tiffany that he'll be a little late to practice. At the game, Pat and his brother get in a fight with some heated Eagles fans and he ends up missing the dance practice. Pat's father loses his bet as well as all the money he wanted to use on his restaurant. Tiffany is also mad that he didn't show up so that they could try their big finishing move. She storms over to the house where everyone is and interacts with Pat's father for the first time. Pat's father is upset that Pat is spending all his time with Tiffany, as well as the fact that he just lost all his money to his friend Randy. Tiffany proposes a parlay to Randy that he will double the cash if the Eagles win the match on the same night as the dance competition. They also have to get an average of five for their routine to win the bet.

Pat thinks that this is insane and leaves. Tiffany comes up with a plan that if Pat thinks his wife will be there then he has to do it. He is convinced by it and the two continue the rest of their training until the big night arrives. They do their routine and win the bet. Pat then reveals that he had been in love with Tiffany the whole time, thus cementing that they will be together forever.

Bradley Cooper is on the rise. After his breakthrough in The Hangover, he has followed through nicely in Limitless and this film. To know that one of his idols in acting is De Niro makes the scenes that he shares with the legend all that more touching. He plays the bipolar Pat with an intensity that is sometimes needed.

I know a couple of weeks ago I said that I was in love with Emma Stone, well I think I am also in love with Jennifer Lawrence. She is an amazingly diverse actress. I have only seen her in Winter's Bone and X-Men: First Class, but she plays two polar opposites in those roles. Here she goes in another direction completely, but that's not a bad thing. Her chemistry with Cooper is electric and heartfelt as they go through the highs and lows.

De Niro is a powerhouse as usual, but he does have a vulnerable side as Pat Sr. We gradually learn that he has OCD, which explains his rituals to do with watching the Sunday games. His character feels as though he didn't give his son the time of day when he was younger and is trying to redeem that. Other stellar performances come from Jacki Weaver, John Ortiz and Chris Tucker, who plays one of Pat's friends from the mental health clinic.

Verdict: Writer/director David O. Russell has not only written a thought provoking and emotional story, but he has also pulled together a powerhouse cast that showcases past and future talent.