In the Heart of the Sea

It's beautiful to look at. Neither the excessive digitalisation, nor the insistent knowledge that this is artificial soundstage spectacle of the purest kind prevented me from getting carried away by the dynamic visual design, which Howard has been doing well for a long time. I also didn't mind the retrospective with frequent cuts to the narrator, on the contrary, it added a welcome dose of humanity and believability to the story. What bothered me, however, was the script, or rather most of it, which, instead of focusing on one strong theme that with peripheral secondary motifs, jumps furiously between completely different perspectives, thus fragmenting the story into several rather harshly connected intellectual episodes. It shifts between a testimony about the corrupt whaling business of the 19th century, a psychological battle between two dominant crew members, a mythical adventure against a formidable enemy, and a physically painful survival drama, but in the end, it cuts corners everywhere and is nothing more than a routine Hollywood recitation of an ambitious multi-layered story that looks beautiful on the big screen but would not have caught on at festivals for even a slightly discerning audience. 65% (2016-01-25)

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. (2016-06-01)

Ron Howard doesn’t make bad movies. But sometimes he just misses the mark. The few scenes at the table where the story begins and ends are more powerful than the cruise itself. The plot that plays out on the ship proceeds by presenting the individual characters in an unoriginal way and putting them in predictable conflicts. Moreover, Howard doesn’t make the most of their roles in the story and, first and foremost, he does not quite know what he wants to say with this film. There are several themes, but none of them serves as the driving force of the film. We’ve got a conflict between the captain and the first officer, the pursuit of wealth culminating in a tragedy, and reflections on how far you can go to save your own life. But it is all just routinely suggested and does not drive the story forward. The most controversial element of the film is the killing of the animals, which is supposed to turn our characters into heroes fulfilling their great roles so that they can return home to their families. The time for such stories has long since passed. The movie is pleasant to watch, especially for female viewers. But it’s not the riveting spectacle we expected from Howard. All of the elements that appeal to the audience were already shown in the action-packed trailer and the work with the characters, which would have given it some sort of dramatic arc, is too weak. (2015-12-03)

A notch down in quality after Rush, of course, but you wouldn’t have expected otherwise with this slow historical tale. Howard knows how to get the sea atmosphere right, and he knows how to work with a generous production design. Pity about the CGI, is not only artificial at first glance (it almost always is), but also not very pretty to watch. But the treatment of the original story is generally on par, and unlike its contemporary on the same level, Bridge of Spies, also occupying cinemas, this film has a lot more life, personality and emotion. Roque Baños will be the new Hans Zimmer in a few years. (2015-12-06)

Personally, I really like visually spectacular films that take place at sea (e.g. Titanic and Life of Pi), so I was really looking forward to In the Heart of the Sea and I am definitely not disappointed. The film effectively blends two timelines to form a nice and consistent whole. What was actually behind the birth of one of America's most famous novels? Where does truth end and fiction begin? The film doesn't lack both decent technical execution and a well-chosen cast, plus it all stands on a good premise. In short, a film that is definitely worth seeing in the cinema to properly enjoy all the aforementioned qualities. (2016-01-30)