En el corazón del mar

Ron Howard no hace películas malas. Él simplemente de vez en cuando no da en el blanco. Las pocas escenas de la mesa, donde comienza y termina la historia, son más fuertes que el viaje mismo. El guión en el ballenero continúa con un conocimiento poco revelador de los personajes y los pone en conflictos predecibles. Además, no consigue sacar de su lugar en la historia lo que podría sacar y, en general, no sabe exactamente qué quiere contar en primer lugar. Hay más temas, pero ninguno de ellos es el motor de la película. Tenemos un conflicto entre el capitán y el primer oficial, la búsqueda de la riqueza que culmina en una tragedia, o la reflexión sobre hasta dónde está bien ir para salvar la propia vida. Pero todo se insinúa rutinariamente y no hace avanzar la historia. El elemento más discutible de la película es lo de matar a los animales, que debe convertir a nuestros personajes en héroes cumpliendo su gran papel, para que puedan volver a casa con sus familias. La actualidad no está muy a favor de tal constelación de historias. La película se mira bien. Los espectadores se pondrán muy contentos. Pero no es una película tan cautivadora como esperábamos de Howard. Todo lo atractivo para los espectadores fue mostrado en los avances, y el trabajo con los personajes, que supuestamente debía darle un arco dramático, es más débil. (03.12.2015)

A digital sea, a famously moving camera, and useless protagonists. Howard's confident dexterity handles things for the first half, but the second half, when the waves calm down, is accompanied by his traditional pain - zero passion. The characters speak from behind fake beards and swollen lips, but there’s really no emotion to it. Fail. 2 and a ½. PS: The digi visual is the ultimate cornea-burning bullshit. (04.03.2016)

The problem with this movie is that it was made by Ron Howard. So before I even put the movie on, I was expecting a cinematographic quality. In the end, I ultimately got it. But it was worse with the plot that actually tells a story about how people destroy nature and how nature, because it can, returns the favor with the same force. So not only did I not hold a grudge against that whale, but even the fishermen didn’t bring out any emotions in me. Not even in the moment when they were dying in a long and disgusting way on the remains of the ship after a month in the middle of an ocean. But Ron is a director with a capital D and despite this, he prepared a few unforgettable scenes and quality moments you cannot overlook. But still, the story and the emotions connected with it knocked the movie down to being average, which proves how easy a story can affect an otherwise quality movie. (01.06.2016)

Ron Howard delivers an unexpectedly gritty survival drama with memorable scenes. A decently thought out story, an excellent Chris Hemsworth, a captivating demonic whale, solid visuals, working emotions and a decent dramatic line between the captain and the first officer are all here. There are a few uncomfortable scenes that are also a delight. The second half is already more tedious compared to the first, but I still have positive feelings about the film. The sea is cruel! 75% (13.12.2015)

What is a letdown for me is that "story-telling" line provides disproportionately more interesting characters (and also actors) than the "narrative" line where only shallow characters show up. And while Hemsworth carries the movies, at least because of his charisma, Walker doesn't. What is an even a bigger letdown is that it is often so obviously digital. There are not so many movies where it is so obvious that the actors are standing in front of a green screen in the studio, and all the rising waves and sea vermin are added subsequently. But even this can be done in such a way that you will not know it, but this is not the case. This is highlighted by the fact that, with a few exceptions, the camera zooms in on the actors’s faces and bodies in these scenes, which is rather unusual. Fortunately, there aren't that many these scenes, and as soon as it takes place in classic interiors and locations, it suddenly works much better. And why did I use a word letdown when talking about these two shortcomings? Because otherwise it's true classic (maybe too much though) manly old school maritime adventure movie about survival. (04.12.2015)