Below - A Review October 21, 2002
The old-fashioned thriller/horror/mystery movie isn't quite dead yet. Below is a throwback to an earlier style of scary movie, one missing far too often in Hollywood these days. Now, I'm not going to reveal which of the above it is so don't ask.
Set on the Tigershark a US Navy fleet submarine on duty in the Atlantic during WWII - it's a world of claustiphobic spaces, the dark, noises, secrets, German depth charges, and fear of things strange and out of the ordinary. These are the generators of fear and tension on the boat along with one other little thing. The German destroyer won't let them surface and breathable air is running out. Are the things you see and hear really there or is it just narcosis setting in? Hmmmm? Director David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Arrival) helps you with your heart excersises by well placed bangs, bumps, depth charges, rogue record players and glimpses of things eerie and occasionally downright scary, but doesn't resort to the slasher mentality to keep you hopping. The reactions of the crew on the sub to the (in many cases) unwelcome presence of a woman are disgusting or demeaning. Note: Some VERY creative epithets were used in many scenes so don't take your young ones to this film.
An ensemble cast turns in good solid performances. Bruce Greenwood (Double Jeapordy, Thirteen Days, The Core) is Lt. Brice, commander of the sub. Olivia Williams (Rushmore, The Sixth Sense, A Knight's Tale) is Claire the English nurse rescued from a sunken hospital ship. Dexter Fletcher (Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Band Of Brothers) is an English navigator from the same raft as Claire. Matthew Davis (Tigerland, Pearl Harbor, Blue Crush) is the junior Lt. just trying to figure things out. Holt McCallany (Jade, The Peacemaker, Fight Club, Men Of Honor) steals several scenes as the Exec - a chilling, goose-bump-generating one with a mirror in particular.
Visually, this film is georgeous. Layers upon layers of grays, blacks and blues punctuated with well lit, detailed closeups. CGI is generally excellent with just a couple of bow waves that don't look quite natural. Most of the underwater "shots" are breath-taking. This will (should) be a stone reference DVD if Universal/MGM has any sense at all.
Audio is, like the visuals, well done. How can you have a submarine movie with sounds ranging from monster depth charges, to the hull creaking from the unending pressure of the deep, to the quiet plop of a drop of water to the deck, and NOT have a grand, spooky soundtrack? Below doesn't disappoint. Dialog is clean, clear and well presented. Surround channels are in continuous full range use.
Overall, a stylish, fun, creepy movie of the type so rarely made these days. If I have any complaint it's that the ending feels somewhat rushed - as if writers Lucas Sussman and Darren Aronofsky weren't quite sure how to wrap up all the storyline and just said "well, let's do it this way - the end". It doesn't do justice to the rest of the film. As it is I give Below :35: out of :5:
David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker
The old-fashioned thriller/horror/mystery movie isn't quite dead yet. Below is a throwback to an earlier style of scary movie, one missing far too often in Hollywood these days. Now, I'm not going to reveal which of the above it is so don't ask.
Set on the Tigershark a US Navy fleet submarine on duty in the Atlantic during WWII - it's a world of claustiphobic spaces, the dark, noises, secrets, German depth charges, and fear of things strange and out of the ordinary. These are the generators of fear and tension on the boat along with one other little thing. The German destroyer won't let them surface and breathable air is running out. Are the things you see and hear really there or is it just narcosis setting in? Hmmmm? Director David Twohy (Pitch Black, The Arrival) helps you with your heart excersises by well placed bangs, bumps, depth charges, rogue record players and glimpses of things eerie and occasionally downright scary, but doesn't resort to the slasher mentality to keep you hopping. The reactions of the crew on the sub to the (in many cases) unwelcome presence of a woman are disgusting or demeaning. Note: Some VERY creative epithets were used in many scenes so don't take your young ones to this film.
An ensemble cast turns in good solid performances. Bruce Greenwood (Double Jeapordy, Thirteen Days, The Core) is Lt. Brice, commander of the sub. Olivia Williams (Rushmore, The Sixth Sense, A Knight's Tale) is Claire the English nurse rescued from a sunken hospital ship. Dexter Fletcher (Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Band Of Brothers) is an English navigator from the same raft as Claire. Matthew Davis (Tigerland, Pearl Harbor, Blue Crush) is the junior Lt. just trying to figure things out. Holt McCallany (Jade, The Peacemaker, Fight Club, Men Of Honor) steals several scenes as the Exec - a chilling, goose-bump-generating one with a mirror in particular.
Visually, this film is georgeous. Layers upon layers of grays, blacks and blues punctuated with well lit, detailed closeups. CGI is generally excellent with just a couple of bow waves that don't look quite natural. Most of the underwater "shots" are breath-taking. This will (should) be a stone reference DVD if Universal/MGM has any sense at all.
Audio is, like the visuals, well done. How can you have a submarine movie with sounds ranging from monster depth charges, to the hull creaking from the unending pressure of the deep, to the quiet plop of a drop of water to the deck, and NOT have a grand, spooky soundtrack? Below doesn't disappoint. Dialog is clean, clear and well presented. Surround channels are in continuous full range use.
Overall, a stylish, fun, creepy movie of the type so rarely made these days. If I have any complaint it's that the ending feels somewhat rushed - as if writers Lucas Sussman and Darren Aronofsky weren't quite sure how to wrap up all the storyline and just said "well, let's do it this way - the end". It doesn't do justice to the rest of the film. As it is I give Below :35: out of :5:
David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker
