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Deepwater Horizon
STARRING: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Kate Hudson
DIRECTOR: Peter Berg
Genre: Biographical disaster
Rating: PG-15
107 mins
Few who follow international news will have forgotten about the horrendous disaster which took place on April 20, 2010.
A huge blowout and series of explosions on the oil rig Deepwater Horizon destroyed the structure and released tens of millions of gallons of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico in the world’s worst-ever oil spill.
From the tragic loss of human life, to the arguably even more tragic destruction of swathes of marine life and poisoning of the ocean, it highlighted the selfishness and stupidity of the ultra-rich oil franchises; none more so than BP who owned Deepwater Horizon.
Understandably, as a Hollywood movie and not a National Geographic documentary, this film focuses almost exclusively on the human side of things rather then our underwater friends. As such, Deepwater Horizon rarely touches on the emotional side of things and often eschews into typical ‘hoo-rah’ macho disaster-and-rescue territory.
That being said though, the true star of this movie is indeed the devastation and explosions, which is seen through the eyes of the rig’s crew.
Those who go to see the film for a thoughtful examination of what took place on the drilling rig will be sorely disappointed (there’s Wikipedia and YouTube videos for that), and the characters are stereotypical and one-dimensional.
Those front and centre include the chief electronics technician on board, Mike Williams (Wahlberg), the man in charge of the crew, Jimmy Harrell (Russell) and BP representative Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich).
Williams is the hero, Harrell is the wise and understanding boss, Vidrine is the villain, and none of them really break outside of these stock designations.
The movie quickly points to Vidrine and other BP folks as the cause of the disaster, making them out to be irresponsible and irredeemable individuals who can’t see past an earnings report. Without a true explanation of the process, and the step or two BP decided to skip in preparing the well, the audience is left only with Malkovich’s sneering drawl and the crew’s hatred of Vidrine as motivation to get invested in proceedings.
Malkovich is one of the best there’s ever been, but even he struggles to authentically portray a baddie when he’s been directed to twirl his moustache at every opportunity. This lessens the impact of his actions tremendously, and he ultimately becomes wholly superfluous to the goings-on on the rig.
Where the movie does work, and works incredibly well, is with its depiction of the destruction wrought on the rig by the explosion of the well. Berg, as he has exhibited in the past, has a great handle on showing real-life horror in ways that feel true. Once equipment and people start being thrown around, everyone in the audience’s adrenaline levels will rise dramatically; it is stunning to watch unfold.
The action-filled evacuation and rescue are in fact so good that they almost eclipse the problems that come earlier in the movie. The audience may not understand where things go wrong or just how any of the safety tests and procedures are supposed to work, but the immediate and calamitous results of those failures are more than clear.
Even after this point in film, post-rescue from the rig, the film does a stellar job showcasing the impact the events have on those who were on board the rig and their loved ones. The scope still feels too narrow, but it remains emotional and unsettling.
Ultimately, Deepwater Horizon is a typical Hollywood disaster movie. It offers up incredible explosions, stories of heartbreak and heroism, visceral thrills, yet paper-thin characters and a lack of focus on the bigger picture.
It has fantastic visuals, the cast has natural charisma, and it’s a fun watch, but the lack of a more thoughtful examination of the characters, the causes of the problem with the well, and the aftermath and its impact is disappointing.
Showing in: Cineco, Seef I, Wadi Al Sail, Dana Cineplex, Novo
Rating: 3/5
