When director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg get together for a film, the result is a visceral batch of cinematic entertainment that is based in fact. Berg loves to dive into the darker moments of US history and takes a swing at the tragically uncalled for oil spill and subsequent explosion off the Gulf Coast in April of 2010 in his latest, Deepwater Horizon.
It lasted 84 days, took eleven human lives, several thousand wildlife species, and poured over 210 million gallons of oil into the body of water. The BP spill doesn't get a light treatment from Berg, and he takes his most trusted leading man-Wahlberg-and delivers a movie that kicks you in the chest and lingers long after you leave the theater.
Berg brings the same amount of energy he gave 2014's Lone Survivor to this tale, and if you know little about the details of the oil spill and what led up to it, the better the experience will be. Along with Wahlberg's workmanlike performance as Mike Williams, Kurt Russell gives an Oscar worthy performance as Jimmy Harrell, the head of the oil drill placing rig, Deepwater Horizon.
The film opens with the crew arriving for a three week stretch on a job already 43 days past completion date, placing Harrell and Williams at odds with BP brass like Vidrine, played by a very good and seedy John Malkovich.
BP wants to get the hole drilled so they can scoop up the massive amount of oil, but the crew warns that the schedule issues may have more to do with the particular difficulty of the spot rather than worker fault. The basic laid plans don't go well, and the entire operation blows up, literally.
Unless you were under a rock six years ago, the aftermath is pretty clear. BP risked 126 lives by being greedy, and life was lost and penalties stretched out over years. As Williams says in the real life testimony that bookends the film, "everything that they said could go wrong...did go wrong."
Berg only knows one way to shoot a film, and it's full steam ahead blunt force trauma. Restraint and slow boiling are not his strong suits. He hits you hard and doesn't stop stalking your senses until the credits roll.
What he does best is connect the thrilling action to an emotional valve, thus connecting easily with viewers. His style reminds of the late Tony Scott, a filmmaker who gave you a fever with his camera movement and angles but always made you feel something in the end.
The reason Lone Survivor, Kingdom, and Friday Night Lights worked so well is the style of directing fit the story and the drive of the material. Berg may never win an Oscar, but he is one of my most trusted creators because he knows exactly what he wants and rarely wastes my time. His lesser efforts, Battleship and Hancock, were entertaining if misguided attempts at cinematic attraction.
With Deepwater Horizon, Berg finds a story with enough juice and action to push all his abilities to the test. The special effects team beautifully recreate the disaster, and the score doesn't overwhelm at all. He frames a shot like a red bull can going for a jog, never slowing down for too long or speeding up beyond comprehension. The film doesn't drag at all, putting every single one of its 107 minute to good use.
A game cast helps and Berg gets it right again. Wahlberg and Berg are forming a poor man's Martin Scorsese-Leonardo DiCaprio type alliance with their movies and their chemistry in these American hero based stories shows more with each frame and will continue in 2017's Patriots Day.
Wahlberg is truly underrated as a leading man capable of holding up in all genres of film, but Williams fits his arsenal to a tee. The interplay between him and the other cast rings truer than most of his recent work.
Russell gives an Oscar worthy performance as the heroic old lion Harrell, who sees all the problems from a mile away yet gets no support from the BP executives. The actor has worked steadily over the past few years, but hasn't gotten a role like this in a long time. He rightfully throws his weight into the film and gives a performance worthy of award consideration, adapting the accent of Harrell and digging into a tough character.
Russell's real life daughter, Kate Hudson, has a nice role as Wahlberg's wife, getting a few scenes to measure up a side show character. Ethan Suplee, Dylan O'Brien, and Gina Rodriguez are also very good in small supporting roles. Every character adds something poignant and required. They make these real life heroes as sudden as if the event is happening right before your eyes.
Some will chop apart the film looking for every fact to be covered. Please do not be that person. It's a movie at the end of the day. A dramatization of a real life disaster that transports an audience member to the doorstep of misery and dread while casting a light on real heroes. Instead of over thinking every detail, just sit back and enjoy the thrilling part of the fall and the rise.
Seriously though, remember what I said about Russell's performance and the Berg-Wahlberg budding alliance.
Deepwater Horizon isn't just a film about a bad oil spill. It's a visceral dose of entertainment with punch and poignancy that hits you after the shock of the action lets go of you. While more inspired than based on fact, the film delivers on the tale of true heroes.
It is worth your time, money, and consideration this weekend at the movies. A perfect September closer.
