Dead Calm
3/4
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane, Sam Neill
Rated R (probably for Violence, Language, Sexuality and Nudity)
In general, I don't like minimalist movies. They're usually artsy for the sake of being artsy and exist solely to impress the critics and counter-culture crowd (examples would be anything by Wes Anderson, "Greetings from Tim Buckley," and this year's "The Rover"). There are exceptions, however, such as "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Samaritan."
"Dead Calm" is an effective but imperfect thriller. Aside from a few plotholes and an only adequate sense of atmosphere, the film features three strong performances and is effectively paced. The premise, being trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a homicidal lunatic, is sufficiently explored for the purposes of the movie, but the film's presentation is definitely not Hollywood. In some ways, that's a good thing.
After the death of their young son, John (Neill) and Rae Ingram (Kidman) are taking a long vacation in their yacht to get away from it all. Rae, who was driving the car at the time of the accident, suffers from nightmares, but she's beginning to heal. Their solitude is interrupted when John spots a battered ship not far away. There is one survivor who makes it to their boat in a dinghy. His name is Hughie Warriner (Zane), and at first he appears to be just a shell-shocked sailor. But John doesn't believe his story, and when Hughie is asleep, he boards to boat to find out what happened. He makes a horrifying discovery, but before he can warn Rae, Hughie wakes up and steals the boat with Rae on it. Rae must match wits with her deranged passenger while John must find a way to rescue her.
"Dead Calm" works because director Philip Noyce keeps things low-key. This is a slow-burn thriller where the suspense from inaction. It's all mood and atmosphere. While it's definitely effective, there are flashes of brilliance that show what the film could have been. The film's cinematographer is Dean Semler, and while the film always looks good, there are some shots that stick out in my mind: one is a point-of-view shot from the approaching dinghy and another has Hughie facing the camera during an insane screaming session. Those clips are innovative and very creepy. Had the rest of the film matched up to that level, "Dead Calm" would have been a masterpiece.
The performances are terrific. Nicole Kidman always impresses. Rae is scared for her life, but she's also smart and resourceful. Many thrillers have women playing impotent until the final moments, but not here. She may not always be successful, but this aspect keeps things more interesting. Sam Neill is his usual reliable self, although to be quite frank, there's not a lot for him to do other than act determined. The film is all Rae and Hughie, and he understands that.
The real scene-stealer is Billy Zane. Zane is at his best when playing sleazy characters (such as his most famous role, Cal Hockley in "Titanic"), but he is totally convincing as Hughie. It would have been too easy for him to sleepwalk through the role and make the character a one-dimensional psycho. But like Mark Wahlberg did in "Fear" a few years later, he works hard to make the character a living, breathing human being. We can see that his mind does not work normally, and that's what makes him scary.
Style is probably a word I'd use when discussing the direction of Phillip Noyce. His approach to the material is not necessarily weird or strange, but it's different. It has the sensibilities of an art film, although Noyce has assembled it in a manner that makes it universally accessible. He doesn't overplay any of the violence or sex. His goal is to create a sense of menace, and he succeeds.
It is not perfect, but for those who like these slow-burn thrillers like this, it's one to catch.
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane, Sam Neill
Rated R (probably for Violence, Language, Sexuality and Nudity)
In general, I don't like minimalist movies. They're usually artsy for the sake of being artsy and exist solely to impress the critics and counter-culture crowd (examples would be anything by Wes Anderson, "Greetings from Tim Buckley," and this year's "The Rover"). There are exceptions, however, such as "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Samaritan."
"Dead Calm" is an effective but imperfect thriller. Aside from a few plotholes and an only adequate sense of atmosphere, the film features three strong performances and is effectively paced. The premise, being trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a homicidal lunatic, is sufficiently explored for the purposes of the movie, but the film's presentation is definitely not Hollywood. In some ways, that's a good thing.
After the death of their young son, John (Neill) and Rae Ingram (Kidman) are taking a long vacation in their yacht to get away from it all. Rae, who was driving the car at the time of the accident, suffers from nightmares, but she's beginning to heal. Their solitude is interrupted when John spots a battered ship not far away. There is one survivor who makes it to their boat in a dinghy. His name is Hughie Warriner (Zane), and at first he appears to be just a shell-shocked sailor. But John doesn't believe his story, and when Hughie is asleep, he boards to boat to find out what happened. He makes a horrifying discovery, but before he can warn Rae, Hughie wakes up and steals the boat with Rae on it. Rae must match wits with her deranged passenger while John must find a way to rescue her.
"Dead Calm" works because director Philip Noyce keeps things low-key. This is a slow-burn thriller where the suspense from inaction. It's all mood and atmosphere. While it's definitely effective, there are flashes of brilliance that show what the film could have been. The film's cinematographer is Dean Semler, and while the film always looks good, there are some shots that stick out in my mind: one is a point-of-view shot from the approaching dinghy and another has Hughie facing the camera during an insane screaming session. Those clips are innovative and very creepy. Had the rest of the film matched up to that level, "Dead Calm" would have been a masterpiece.
The performances are terrific. Nicole Kidman always impresses. Rae is scared for her life, but she's also smart and resourceful. Many thrillers have women playing impotent until the final moments, but not here. She may not always be successful, but this aspect keeps things more interesting. Sam Neill is his usual reliable self, although to be quite frank, there's not a lot for him to do other than act determined. The film is all Rae and Hughie, and he understands that.
The real scene-stealer is Billy Zane. Zane is at his best when playing sleazy characters (such as his most famous role, Cal Hockley in "Titanic"), but he is totally convincing as Hughie. It would have been too easy for him to sleepwalk through the role and make the character a one-dimensional psycho. But like Mark Wahlberg did in "Fear" a few years later, he works hard to make the character a living, breathing human being. We can see that his mind does not work normally, and that's what makes him scary.
Style is probably a word I'd use when discussing the direction of Phillip Noyce. His approach to the material is not necessarily weird or strange, but it's different. It has the sensibilities of an art film, although Noyce has assembled it in a manner that makes it universally accessible. He doesn't overplay any of the violence or sex. His goal is to create a sense of menace, and he succeeds.
It is not perfect, but for those who like these slow-burn thrillers like this, it's one to catch.
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