In case you forgot, this picture will make you angry at BP all over again. Without going near the dangerous waters of the real-life events at Deepwater Horizon, I can say that this film works on its own terms and packs a few not-so-subtle punches. For the most part, however, it's exactly what I expected it to be.
Turning an enormous tragedy into a small-scale disaster, Deepwater Horizon never feels necessary, and worse, never feels inspired. Rather than augmenting its familiar story with powerful performances or Big Themes (as we see in most major disaster flicks), this film plays it safe and small, sticking strictly to the action. While there are some nice touches to the action, it never has much heart to it. Thankfully, there is enough distraction that I never laughed out loud at the thin dialogue and frantic editing. The sound mixing and sound editing are notably impressive, and the apparently practical set design is a study unto itself.
So, technically, the movie is dazzling. However, there are almost no characterizations of the considerable cast, making the ensemble drama just that. We see some nice performances -- John Malkovich is particularly delightful -- but nothing worth gushing over. As such, the fatalities of the film fall pretty flat, and the emotional climax is more climactic because of the fiery background effects than because of the performances of our leads. In fact, the most emotional scene I saw happened about halfway through, as a nearby ship views the explosive oil spewing into the night sky. A bird flies in, crashing through the bridge of the ship, coated in oil and shrieking as it smashes into windows and desks before dying. If there is a central visual message from the film, that is it.
The film's worst sin, though, is its flat sense of inevitability. Seemingly after each of the initial scenes, the camera cuts away to the base and its underwater pipes, showing the immense pressure and looming catastrophe before the film has even set up its narrative focus. There's never a moment when we don't know exactly what's going to happen. Because of this, I was disappointed in director Peter Berg, who has proven himself fully capable and even talented in helming an action-thriller. Here, though, I couldn't see a creative inspiration at work. Instead, I see substance ignored in favor of technical skill; a routine form of shallow entertainment, as mindless as it is predictable.
IMDb: Deepwater Horizon
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