Black Sea

Greetings again from the darkness. One of my first favorite TV shows as a little kid was "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". Each week I sat wide-eyed in front of the tube (yes, it was actually a cathode ray tube back then) anxiously awaiting underwater adventure. It wasn't until later that I discovered Irwin Allen's 1961 movie of the same name, and more importantly, Jules Verne's novel "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", which featured the wild exploits of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus. Since then, count me in for just about any movie based aboard a submarine (Down Periscope being a rare exception).

Director Kevin MacDonald is best known for his excellent 2006 film The Last King of Scotland (with Forest Whitaker's Oscar winning performance as Idi Amin). This time he works with a script from playwright Dennis Kelly to deliver a gritty, tense thriller that is lacking any traditional Hollywood fluff … it's a down and dirty look at greed, desperation and the survival instinct.

Inherent to a story based aboard a submarine is the immediate and constant threat of claustrophobia and death. This one adds another element of danger by blending a crew of Russians and Brits with the goal of bringing back millions of dollars in gold locked away on a sunken German U-Boat in the Black Sea waters. Lest you think the Russians are just another group of southern California actors faking the accent, director MacDonald confirmed that he cast actual Russian actors – including Grigoriy Dobrygin (A Most Wanted Man), Konstantin Khabenskiy (one of the most popular actors in Russia), and three others named Sergey, which MacDonald acknowledged contributed to on-set confusion. This decision elevates the onboard tension between adversarial characters to an armrest-gripping level. Yet another slightly psychotic Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) role doesn't hurt, either.

Jude Law continues the second phase of his career – far removed from his pretty boy early films – as a tough, revenge-seeking sub captain fired by his long-time employer. Should you doubt Law's acting range, I would recommend not just this film, but also last year's Dom Hemingway (a wild ride). Law's performance here is very strong as he transforms from a p.o.'d former employee to an eye-on-the-prize, win-at-all-cost treasure seeker. The onboard tension mounts every time there is interaction between the Russians and Brits, and Law's character attempts to mediate. The progression of this three-way dynamic is fascinating to watch as it unfolds.

To provide that true underwater feeling, MacDonald filmed some scenes onboard an old Soviet submarine that is moored in the River Medway in Kent (UK). We never have that feeling of Hollywood soundstage; instead we as viewers share in the tight space and constant dread. This combination of characters, setting and mission deliver an intense thriller that is sure to please, and feels uncommonly welcome this early in the year.

The pinnacle of submarine movies is Das Boot (1981), a must-see for any movie lover. Other popular sub films include Crimson Tide (1995), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and K-19: The Widowmaker (2002), and for those of us who are fascinated by life (and possible death) under the sea, we gladly welcome a new entry to the sub-genre, especially one as well made and tension-packed as Black Sea.

Robinson (Jude Law) is laid off from his salvage company, but learns about a German sub deep in the Black Sea that is loaded with gold from WWII. Robinson gets the funding, an old Russian sub and a crew of 12 consisting of Russians and English to go after the gold.

All of the above sounds really good, but here's the thing: the crew members don't like or trust each other and tensions rise. Here is what I didn't understand: most were out of work and readily available to search for the gold. Yet, they acted like this was business as usual and would have liked it if some members were killed off and that would mean more money for them. Did someone say "greed." Robinson did say that all members would receive an equal share and this message was good and understood, by all, for about 20-seconds.

The Russians spoke Russian and Robinson needed translations. Why not let the Russians speak English as we sometimes hear in movies? I mean if the translations were deceptive, then I could understand their speaking Russian, but there were no deceptions. See?

One more thing: they hit something that breaks their drive shaft and they see the German sub and need to get that drive shaft to be able to move. Three go out with limited air supply in their tanks to retrieve the drive shaft and once inside the German sub, they discover the gold. Now here's the thing: a winch materializes out of nowhere to move the gold and the drive shaft. There is no talk of limited air supply and all work together to get the winch to move the gold and the drive shaft in the sea bed mud. Limited air supply indeed !

Then comes the big twist. I truly forgot there would be a twist. Hey, it happens. And it happened because I was so engaged in this tension-filled story, but there it was. Bummer.

The acting and tension all around were so good I felt as though I was on that sub, too, and yes, I was looking over my shoulder every 10-seconds like everyone else in these cramped quarters.

There are some holes in here, but this is still a good sub story. (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

As a former submarine sailor I watch every submarine picture that is exhibited. None are exactly as it was or is. Most are a lot of fun to watch. This movie was very good as it entertained and kept you on the edge of your seat. This is a good escape from all the movies that are all explosions, blood and gore, fantasy, and vampire trash. This has a believable storyline even if the FX are a little unbelievable. You should watch this movie and enjoy it. Jude law is surprising in the role of the Capt. and is a great deal different than previous movie roles for him. The clash of personalities adds to the excitement through danger and mechanical malfunctions.

This film is about a submarine captain who is fired because of downsizing. He decides to form his own submarine team to hunt for the gold that Nazi Germany is rumoured to have left in a sunken submarine at the bottom of the Black Sea.

I was initially put off by "Black Sea" because of the heavy accent, which made it hard for me to understand the dialog. Fortunately, the film is thrilling and captivating, so I was drawn by the film again. The plot keeps me on the edge because there is something happening in rapid succession. The divide between the British and the Russian crew is well portrayed. There are even mind games which is probably unexpected in a submarine thriller. The claustrophobic environment of the submarine, and also the constant fear of catastrophic events happening keep the adrenaline pumping. The ending is unexpectedly moving, I was very sympathetic towards the characters. It even gave me tingles down my body. I enjoyed watching "Black Sea".

"I know a way to not be like this. I know a way to get money." Captain Robinson (Law) is a submarine captain who has just been told he is no longer needed. When he tells his crew about this they are wondering what the next step in their lives will be. The idea comes up about trying to salvage a sunken sub full of Nazi gold and they agree to look for it. What starts off as a way to make money becomes something so much more. This is a movie that I can not do justice to in a review. The movie is nothing amazing and is not a classic but this is one of the biggest surprises I have seen in a while. I was sucked in right away and was interested and intrigued all the way until the end, which seemed to come almost too soon. This movie takes all the great aspects of a heist movie and moves the setting to a claustrophobic submarine. I could go on about how much I liked this movie but I will just say this is one you have to see to understand. I recommend this. Overall, nothing that will win awards or become a classic, but it was entertaining and very much worth your time. I really enjoyed this. I give it a B+.