The Red Sea Diving Resort
(C or 2/4 stars)
'The Red Sea Diving Resort' (written & directed by Gideon Raff) is a wartime drama that is inspired by a true story that occurred in the late 1970s/early 80s. After leading a desperate group of downtrodden Jewish Ethiopians across the border into The Sudan & hiding them in a refugee center, Ari Levinson (Chris Evans, that's Capt. America to you) & his teammates, including Sammy (Alessandro Nivola), are ordered back to Mossad headquarters - that's Israel's intelligence service - where Ethan (Sir Ben Kingsley) holds the reins. There, still heavily concerned about the plight of those he rescued & their leader Kabeda (Michael Kenneth Williams), Ari comes up with an unorthodox scheme to get all of them to their sought-for destination ... Jerusalem.
Using a deserted, beachside hotel - The Red Sea Diving Resort - as a home base, the Ethiopians can be smuggled out of The Sudan by boat across to Israel. Convincing his superiors that he can make it happen, & recruiting a top team of trusted allies, including Sammy, Rachel (Haley Bennett), Jake (Michael Huisman, of Game of Thrones, The Age of Adaline), Rachel (Haley Bennett, of The Girl on the Train) & Max (Alex Hassell), Ari sets the wheels in motion. The fake resort is up & running when the protagonist crew makes its 1st successful night time rescue. Subsequent harrowing rescues ensue until the whole operation is gravely threatened by Sudanese Col. Abdul Ahmed (Chris Chalk), whose unstoppable efforts to halt them have grim results.
Eh. This obviously well-intentioned film is as predictable as it is ordinary. Right from the opening sequence when a little boy gets separated from his family and Capt. Ameri--, ahem, I mean, "Ari" is there to help ... you kinda know the framework & trajectory of the story from there on out. The winning notion of a decrepit resort being restored as a spot for the daring rescue of despairing refugees is absolutely the best aspect of the movie. And when German tourists mistake the undercover operation for the real deal, this film showcases fleeting moments of wit & uniqueness. Liked that.
But overall, this is simply an average motion picture all around. The writing is average. The editing is average. The cinematography is your stock sepia-toned hue to match a late 1970s/early 80s vibe. I typically enjoy Mychael Danna's music scores, but this time, his work felt distractingly anachronistic to the era. The acting is average, or slightly above. The characterizations are thin when they should be developed. Chris Evans prances around bare-chested, or in shorts, or nude altogether and, while that may appeal to many a fan ... that's just what it is ... fan service. The filmmakers knew they got a popular Adonis in the lead role and exploited his looks all while trying to purport this very serious story. That felt off, to me.
There are some conflicts btwn. the protagonist heroes that felt forced, to me. And the film can't escape from the in-your-face fact that it is yet another in what is sometimes referred to as a 'white savior' view of history. I don't think there's anything horribly wrong with that ... but the best historical dramas out there don't lean on that. Little effort is made to bring a beating heart to the anguished-but-hopeful people at the center of the story. And I do not believe this film needed to be 129 min. long. All that said, 'The Red Sea Diving Resort' isn't trash. Though it isn't particularly good, it aims to be. And I'm glad I got exposure to this incredible true story.
Using a deserted, beachside hotel - The Red Sea Diving Resort - as a home base, the Ethiopians can be smuggled out of The Sudan by boat across to Israel. Convincing his superiors that he can make it happen, & recruiting a top team of trusted allies, including Sammy, Rachel (Haley Bennett), Jake (Michael Huisman, of Game of Thrones, The Age of Adaline), Rachel (Haley Bennett, of The Girl on the Train) & Max (Alex Hassell), Ari sets the wheels in motion. The fake resort is up & running when the protagonist crew makes its 1st successful night time rescue. Subsequent harrowing rescues ensue until the whole operation is gravely threatened by Sudanese Col. Abdul Ahmed (Chris Chalk), whose unstoppable efforts to halt them have grim results.
Eh. This obviously well-intentioned film is as predictable as it is ordinary. Right from the opening sequence when a little boy gets separated from his family and Capt. Ameri--, ahem, I mean, "Ari" is there to help ... you kinda know the framework & trajectory of the story from there on out. The winning notion of a decrepit resort being restored as a spot for the daring rescue of despairing refugees is absolutely the best aspect of the movie. And when German tourists mistake the undercover operation for the real deal, this film showcases fleeting moments of wit & uniqueness. Liked that.
But overall, this is simply an average motion picture all around. The writing is average. The editing is average. The cinematography is your stock sepia-toned hue to match a late 1970s/early 80s vibe. I typically enjoy Mychael Danna's music scores, but this time, his work felt distractingly anachronistic to the era. The acting is average, or slightly above. The characterizations are thin when they should be developed. Chris Evans prances around bare-chested, or in shorts, or nude altogether and, while that may appeal to many a fan ... that's just what it is ... fan service. The filmmakers knew they got a popular Adonis in the lead role and exploited his looks all while trying to purport this very serious story. That felt off, to me.
There are some conflicts btwn. the protagonist heroes that felt forced, to me. And the film can't escape from the in-your-face fact that it is yet another in what is sometimes referred to as a 'white savior' view of history. I don't think there's anything horribly wrong with that ... but the best historical dramas out there don't lean on that. Little effort is made to bring a beating heart to the anguished-but-hopeful people at the center of the story. And I do not believe this film needed to be 129 min. long. All that said, 'The Red Sea Diving Resort' isn't trash. Though it isn't particularly good, it aims to be. And I'm glad I got exposure to this incredible true story.