Sous emprise - Die Freiheit unter Wasser

When was the last time you held your breath for 30 seconds? 60 seconds....ever? Try holding it for 3+ minutes. The focus of this film is about deep-water free diving records. 172+ meters under water. It takes a team to assist as it is highly dangerous. While record-breaking divers are the main theme, the film follows a free spirit college dropout lady who stumbles into a relationship with a top diver who is a blatant narcissist. The lady actually starts to attempt some of her own dives. The story blends their rocky relationship with the smooth and calm diving attempts. Will there be more broken diving records or now broken hearts? This was an interesting small feeling film with some solid underwater shots and in-depth character development. It is actually based on a true story! Yikes!

Quite nice cinematically, typically French and good if you're in a deep and thoughtful mood, but with some quite depressing themes so not one to cheer anyone up! This is exactly the sort of 'world' film that I like to watch by myself because no one else woukd watch it with me - it was dubbed but I might have actually preferred original French with subtitles as it keeps the arty quality.

There were a lot of things I found frustrating and nonsensical about the storyline until I wondered whether it was based on a real person, and then it started to make sense because real life is full of awful choices and watching flawed people make decisions that are hard to fathom.

Honestly so much of the story had me thinking 'that would never happen' that you pretty much couldn't make it up.

The main characters are often a bit unlikeable in my opinion and the ones that are decent seem to get the rough end of the deal... Unfortunately true to life you might think.

I do like the sea though, and it was interesting to learn about the sport and the psychology around it. I quite liked it but again, you'd need to be in the mood for something pretty slow but dramatic!

No pun intended - you'll know if you watch the movie. Sometimes it is something that can never entirely be earned. Think about it - if you slept with someone (well that is putting the quick and passionate love making session mildly) who at the time was with someone else ... could you really trust that person? And to what degree would that trust go? Don't get me wrong that is not the "theme" itself the movie really puts in front of us.

It is about a woman who tries to find her way - and her purpose. And that purpose is not a man. Though that man does help her achieve her dreams and goals. But he is also dragging her down (sorry for the pun). There is more than meets the eye here and even more below the surface (again sorry for the pun).

And while the movie is also about love, most of it happens fully clothed - still apart from one scene baring it all, it is filled with passion and sounds that might make you feel uncomfortable. Everyone perceives things differently. But it is important that we see the passion, that we understand how deep (sorry) their love goes. Because only then we understand the full scope of the feelings that are being shared - one way or another.

Apparently based on a real story, though I am certain there have been taken creative licences - even with the ending you ask? I can't say - I might take a look one of these days ... still quite mesmerizing the way it is told.

The movie is very unique, being different from all the movies I have ever seen. This alone helps to hold your attention, but an intriguing script and breathtaking scenery it captivates the viewer even more. Furthermore, the movie is quite realistic and is inspired by a real story, at the end of the movie it keeps you wondering of what actually happened and what was just fiction. Overall it's a nice movie, I was surprised by the negative reviews so far, definitely worth seeing, especially if you are interested in the plot, my only caveat would be if you are looking for a comedy or bawdy movie, otherwise I would definitely recommend watch it.

Once upon a time there was a film made about Gandhi who insofar as I remember was Indian. They used a British Jewish actor to play Gandhi. I still wonder why? No Indians available?

Then later on and before that they would make cowboy movies with white actors painted to look like Braves. Here in these Woke years they use actor Sofiane to play a character called Pascal which may seem a bit odd to some viewers; did they run out of Frenchmen who are not French Arabs? It seems unnecessary to me but anyway he does a great job here as the Baddie of the piece.

As regards the other main protagonist her acting is okay here only during the bar scene with the secondary love interest does she giggle a tad like a brainless model; the rest of the time she is really quite adequate even very good at times. The other acting folks here are all pretty good not stellar But pretty good.

The tale here is a total grim fest. Both main characters have childhoods that would make Dickens and Eugène Sue blush and they tell you about them. The activity they are engaged in is to a sane person so crazy that it beggars belief.

I remember the film Im Rausch Der Tiefe (1988) from years ago (Luc Besson 1988) and this was excellent (free diving is huge in France) ; here we have what it has come to now an exaggeration a crazy hyperbolic take on free diving full of technology machines and pushing the human body to a place where it can only die.

Trying to produce no spoilers here but it does not end well surprisingly. Do not watch this film if you want something to cheer up this will not tick that box. Also it is intimated that something of the same nature happened in real time to a real female diver in The Dominican Republic; maybe just an homage; probably not a cut-and-paste

To summarise it is very adequate film well-made the acting I would rate at 75% of what it could have been; but whichever way you cut this the storyline is strong and that is a very crucial component of any movie...

PS so i went and watched Im Rausch Der Tiefe (1988) again after all these years and that too was not a tale of joy either .... I had forgotten the ending probably just remembered the cuddly dolphs and gorgeous curves of Rosanna .... but yes in a way "Sous Emprise" is just an amped version in the more accelerated and cruel world of 2022 .... I remembered Im Rausch Der Tiefe (1988) as chipper chirpier ... but noooooo it sure was not.