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This
gripping drama was shot on location in Gloucester, Mass., where
locals who had lost family in that storm were employed in the
movie as extras, and in a huge water tank that tossed the actors
about with wild abandon.
Directed
by Wolfgang Peterson ("Enemy Mine,"
"Shattered" and "Das Boot"), it is an
adventurous and startling movie about love, loss and
determination. Peterson delivers with wrenching computer-generated
scenes of huge waves crashing about and a realistic portrayal of
the homes, the families and the incredible hard work and danger of
bringing home the swordfish catch. His direction of these
characters made for an adventurous film with some depth, much
character and a good production.
George
Clooney, who plays captain Billy Tyne, was not his usual
charismatic self in this film. He seems to have trouble delivering
his lines, but this may be part of the act, as he depicts a
perennial screw-up who risks too much and usually comes back with
too little. Mark Wahlberg seems to be the hero of the film and
puts in a good showing as supporting actor. Wahlberg and Clooney
play well off each other but fail in the end to reach critical
mass. Also of good mention is the performance of John C. Reilly
and William Fichtner, who play their roles so well that you easily
connect with the life of the fisherman and the small-town fishing
culture of Gloucester, Mass.
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This
movie does an excellent job showing all the gritty, difficult and
rewarding moments of fishing for swordfish. Based on Sebastian Junger’s
best-selling novel with the same title, the fishing sequences stand out.
The two main attractions in this movie are, in fact, the fishing and the
storm. After hearing the tales fishermen tell firsthand, this movie
appropriately demonstrates and tells the story of the incredible dangers
of a hurricane at sea and the danger of allowing greed to "steer
your boat."
I
enjoyed this film, although I found myself gripping my cushion a little
too tightly, clenching my jaw and experiencing anxiety firsthand. I
thought at one point that I actually tasted brine as wave after frothy
wave crashed over the boat and sprayed in their faces. After a while, I
thought the computer-generated waves were a bit fakey looking, but this
surreal effect was actually quite fitting and not overdone. I found the
characters to be a little underpolished but thought this to be much more
authentic and appropriate. All in all, I recommend this movie and give
it 3 stars.
[midge]
midge@lincolndailynews.com
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"M:I-2" is just a
typical spy story of the new millennium: A megalomaniac creates a
deadly virus to release on an unsuspecting world. He alone has the
antidote, which he will use to gain tremendous wealth. A co-worker
with a conscience realizes what the boss is up to and decides to
defect with the virus and the antidote and spoil the get-rich
scheme. But bad guys infiltrate the defection, steal the antidote
and, for the rest of the movie, attempt to also steal the virus so
that power and wealth will be theirs.
Ethan Hunt (Tom
Cruise) is assigned to the mission, if he chooses it (do you think
the IMF guys have ever said, "Nah, get somebody else?). The
impossible part is to steal the virus from the drug company that
created it, steal the antidote from the bad guys and save the
whole known world. No big deal if you are Tom Cruise and there is
a pretty girl in the mix.
I liked several
things about this movie. Tom Cruise does what I think is the best
acting of his career in "M:I-2." No stumbling through lines, no
childish look and no self-glorification. He does the lowbrow Tom
Cruise stare several times, and he has great intensity. In
addition to Tom's scenery, the other scenery in "M:I-2" is beautiful,
and the camera work is seductive. And this movie moves along at a
terrific pace.
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Unfortunately,
my list of things I didn't like is longer. Although it is a simple,
straightforward story line, the presentation, the dialog and the
direction are confusing. You weren't sure at times who were the good
guys and the bad guys. The characters in this movie were
one-dimensional, with too little attention given to character
development.
Anthony Hopkins was in this movie, but his two little
cameo appearances caused confusion rather than bringing joy. Ving
Rhames is a fascinating actor, but he may as well have been played by
a potato in "M:I-2." And the Bad, bad guy Dougray Scott was a big
letdown (could somebody please outlaw the use of cigar trimmers as
bad-guy weapons, please?). Throughout this movie I failed to
emotionally connect with even one of the characters, and at the end of
this two-hour ride, I didn't even care!
The really bad news of
this movie was that the special effects were hokey and unbelievable.
There is a superhuman element to this film: the actors themselves
were much more than human (like getting punched and kicked 50 times
wouldn't at least knock out an ordinary human being, let alone put
them in the hospital?), and they could at times perform what seemed to
be superhuman feats without any explanation (none of them were
presented as gods or aliens).
Finally, my last bad
comment I have to make about this film is that it is boring (I would
tell you what is boring, but that would be giving the movie away)! If
it were not for the ultra-fast pace and the scenery, "Mission
Impossible 2" would be impossible watching times two.
Watch "M:I-2" for the
scenery, the camera work, and catch Cruise's best acting performance.
And watch it because there have been few quality movies released
lately. I give this movie 2˝ stars out of 5 stars.
[midge]
midge@lincolndailynews.com
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Directed by Wolfgang Peterson
Starring: