In the Heart of the Sea

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K I Started off well, but kept descending into darkness. A totally unpleasant experience to watch. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/25 Full Review John C Have been reading Moby-Dick and Melville and that era of writers; and while I never saw this when it opened I passed because it looked too Hollywood. So when I finally decided to watch it to complement the reading, I confirmed I was right. For one, all the star-power involved and the at-times over-emotive American acting. Nantucket looks like a set, actors look just got in from the makeup trailer. The lighting at times looks fake, and of course they had to use a lot of CGI to simulate whale-hunting. That being said, it does at times bring you into the grip of the action - some scenes do feel realistic and I imagine viewing on a big screen would be entertaining. At 2 hours it isn't going to claim much of your life. While there is some character crisis in the movie, they aren't explored enough; it can be difficult to pull off with multiple characters, so what are we supposed to identify with? The Nickerson character as old man drinking the rest of his life away, reflecting on his wide-eyed greenhorn boyish self? Or the manly Owen Chase? His is the man leaving family behind trope, doing what he knows; circumstances lead him into some spiritual questioning of their trade, but it isn't too deep. You can almost guess the next line of dialogue or story beat. The poster with the great whale eye pretty much says what it's about for the theater-goer; and so didn't generate so much interest. An action film about whale-hunting. A limited series with photography that feels more realistic and gritty (Master and Commander set the bar for this genre), and perhaps an actor with some gravitas and writing that can deliver something more than typical class struggle melodrama, could deliver what this story and era deserves. Melville's novel about Whaling is complex and multi-layered and explores almost every corner of history, society, America, character, psychology, legend, and narration. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/03/25 Full Review Fred U I encountered the movie on Netflix by chance. It looked good as advertised and had some well-known actors, so we went ahead and watched it, really not knowing what to expect or what the movie is about. More often than not these days, that turns into a few hours wasted on a movie not worth watching. This one was, however, and so much so! The visuals are fantastic. Old Nantucket, the boat, the whales, the sea: it all looks remarkably real. The life at sea and its challenges for these men was vividly brought to life. The movie first focuses on the tension between the captain and first mate, then on the encounter of the dreadful whale, and finally the survival ( and non-survival ) story after that. I was gripped by the movie, the story telling and the characters from beginning to end. Afterwards, I read up on the real life events shown. I have no idea why people seem to be so down on the movie. Perhaps my advantage was that I really didn’t know what was to unfold. Anyways, fantastic movie, and a surprise find that evening. Go watch it! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/25 Full Review Ned B Not close to the book, which is fantastic. Book starts off with a whale boat being discovered in the sea with a few men in the boat sucking the marrow from the bones of their shipmates. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/25/25 Full Review Dave S It is based, quite accurately, on a true story. I was captivated by that and that it actually lead to Melville writing Moby Dick, which is only loosely connected to it. Brendan Gleeson, Chris Hemsworth, and Cillian Murphy were very good in a nice script, well-directed by Ron Howard, whose movies always give me pleasure and occasionally a tear or two. I found it moving and engaging. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/25 Full Review Jim B Interesting, but the actors did not reach their full potentials, and it never quite grips you. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/25 Full Review Read all reviews

In the Heart of the Sea

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