The Finest Hours (B or 3/4 stars)
'Tis January. In the mood for an icy cold Perfect Storm-like (and lite) fact-based rescue/adventure story? I offer you 'The Finest Hours', directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars & the Real Girl, Fright Night). Set in 1951-52, 'The Finest Hours' chronicles a fictionalized account of the real-life, treacherous, small-boat Coast Guard mission to save the crew of an oil tanker that split apart during a ferocious storm off the coast of Cape Cod. In a lengthy prologue, shy Coast Guard captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) & his friend Gus go on a soda shop double-date. That is where he meets Miriam (Holliday Grainger, looking like she was plucked out of an actual 1950s movie), the spunky telephone operator who becomes his fiance after SHE asks him to marry her {kinda cute, kinda bizarre scene, actually}.
When a massive nor'easter hits New England's coastline, a T-2 tanker, the S.S. Pendleton, cracks in two, leaving some 34 men eerily stranded; bobbing in the high seas, constantly taking on water. Engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) immediately takes charge of the bickering crew (including a nasty Graham McTavish). Meanwhile, at the Coast Guard station, Officer Daniel Cluff (a Southern fried Eric Bana) orders Bernie Webber & his inexperienced 3-man crew to journey across the notoriously perilous Chatham shoal (or the sand "bar") to rescue the assumed 34 survivors in a small, motorized, 36 ft. wooden boat, facing monstrous eaves, frigid temperatures, hurricane-force winds and, eventually, a lost compass. But can they even make it over that "bar" intact to reach the men before it's too late?
Based on Michael J. Tougias & Casey Sherman's non-fiction book (about a real-life event), I'd say that this otherwise gripping, tense, adrenaline-racing action flick is hampered a bit by cheesy dialogue, cliched subplots & some formulaic direction. Early on, I didn't warm to the land-bound characters before they head-out on the open seas. But once this film hits the water, boy, do the scenes of suspense & peril rescue it. The film's visuals are strong and various shots lead to some truly "oh, sh*t!" jaw-dropping moments (such as when a crewman discovers why the men in the engine room can't contact the captain on the other side of the tanker ... HOLY moly). The high seas disaster sequences are expertly crafted; the CGI is stellar; and Carter Burwell's (recently 1st-time nominated for his beautiful work in Carol) pounding musical score aids those suspense-filled sea sequences greatly.
The least effective narrative elements are the heavily fictionalized ones. These relate to the involvement of Bernie's fiance, Miriam, as well as some of the blah interpersonal relationships among members of the S.S. Pendleton's crew. Casey Affleck is solid here (so watchable) and, his antagonistic relationship with fellow crewmember Graham McTavish is a focal point. But some of their character building scenes felt contrived {involving the use or non-use of a lifeboat}. Chris Pine is likeable as the socially awkward, shy Bernie; he's the proverbial anchor, and a rooting interest of the film. The cast is a good one: pretty Holliday Grainger, Ben Foster, John Magaro, & Eric Bana – who is underused as the unfeeling, ill-prepared commander back on dry land.
'The Finest Hours' celebrates this terrifying piece of history and how courageous Bernie Webber & resourceful Ray Sybert excel during crisis to become instrumental in saving lives. Sybert's time-pressed innovations allow the S.S. Pendleton to stay afloat much longer than expected, & Bernie Webber's 'suicide mission' out of the harbor, over the "bar", & into the dangerous ocean are acts of heroism that you rarely see anymore. Now, the direction/script doesn't quite stand up; I cared more for the characters in the aforementioned 2000 film, The Perfect Storm. 'The Finest Hours' is mild, cheesy & a touch unbelievable (given that it is based on fact). But the tension, danger & earnest heroics on display go a long way. It's a decent way to spend 2 hours.
When a massive nor'easter hits New England's coastline, a T-2 tanker, the S.S. Pendleton, cracks in two, leaving some 34 men eerily stranded; bobbing in the high seas, constantly taking on water. Engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) immediately takes charge of the bickering crew (including a nasty Graham McTavish). Meanwhile, at the Coast Guard station, Officer Daniel Cluff (a Southern fried Eric Bana) orders Bernie Webber & his inexperienced 3-man crew to journey across the notoriously perilous Chatham shoal (or the sand "bar") to rescue the assumed 34 survivors in a small, motorized, 36 ft. wooden boat, facing monstrous eaves, frigid temperatures, hurricane-force winds and, eventually, a lost compass. But can they even make it over that "bar" intact to reach the men before it's too late?
Based on Michael J. Tougias & Casey Sherman's non-fiction book (about a real-life event), I'd say that this otherwise gripping, tense, adrenaline-racing action flick is hampered a bit by cheesy dialogue, cliched subplots & some formulaic direction. Early on, I didn't warm to the land-bound characters before they head-out on the open seas. But once this film hits the water, boy, do the scenes of suspense & peril rescue it. The film's visuals are strong and various shots lead to some truly "oh, sh*t!" jaw-dropping moments (such as when a crewman discovers why the men in the engine room can't contact the captain on the other side of the tanker ... HOLY moly). The high seas disaster sequences are expertly crafted; the CGI is stellar; and Carter Burwell's (recently 1st-time nominated for his beautiful work in Carol) pounding musical score aids those suspense-filled sea sequences greatly.
The least effective narrative elements are the heavily fictionalized ones. These relate to the involvement of Bernie's fiance, Miriam, as well as some of the blah interpersonal relationships among members of the S.S. Pendleton's crew. Casey Affleck is solid here (so watchable) and, his antagonistic relationship with fellow crewmember Graham McTavish is a focal point. But some of their character building scenes felt contrived {involving the use or non-use of a lifeboat}. Chris Pine is likeable as the socially awkward, shy Bernie; he's the proverbial anchor, and a rooting interest of the film. The cast is a good one: pretty Holliday Grainger, Ben Foster, John Magaro, & Eric Bana – who is underused as the unfeeling, ill-prepared commander back on dry land.
'The Finest Hours' celebrates this terrifying piece of history and how courageous Bernie Webber & resourceful Ray Sybert excel during crisis to become instrumental in saving lives. Sybert's time-pressed innovations allow the S.S. Pendleton to stay afloat much longer than expected, & Bernie Webber's 'suicide mission' out of the harbor, over the "bar", & into the dangerous ocean are acts of heroism that you rarely see anymore. Now, the direction/script doesn't quite stand up; I cared more for the characters in the aforementioned 2000 film, The Perfect Storm. 'The Finest Hours' is mild, cheesy & a touch unbelievable (given that it is based on fact). But the tension, danger & earnest heroics on display go a long way. It's a decent way to spend 2 hours.