WATCH NOW
It is easy to see Berg’s unwavering work ethic in “Friday Night Lights” and “Lone Survivor.” He puts a lot of effort into each film he makes and it pays off, despite the mixed reviews. The film “Deepwater Horizon,” which debuted in the Toronto film festival, was a complete mess for Peter Berg. It was produced during his time and focused on the oil rig disaster that occurred in 2010, which is recorded as one of the worst oil spills in American history. The film was initially directed by J.C. Chandor, who infamously directed “All is Lost” but was ultimately fired for undisclosed reasons. After Berg took over, the film was made in under 6 months but it was painfully clear that it was forced out. This is especially apparent considering Berg’s immediate switch to another movie, “Patriots Day,” which was centered around the Boston bombing of 2013. The ending of the movie felt like it was forcibly placed to fulfill a checklist. Berg’s films tend to be on the more entertaining side, and despite the chaotic nature of the oil spill, he decided to showcase it as well. This is a tragic tale told in an overdo fashion with underwhelming results.
“Deepwater Horizon,” is basically split into two acts. “Act 1: Meet the Crew,” “Act 2: Watch the Disaster.” We spend a bit of time with the family of Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg), including his wife Felicia (Kate Hudson) before he leaves off to work at his rather peculiar job at an oil-drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. We meet one of the more seasoned members of the rig, “Mr. Jimmy” (Kurt Russell), alongside a younger member of the crew, Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez). As always, a few rather unsavory BP higher-ups have also seeped in acceptance, including the extraordinarily terrible Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich).
The first half of the film “Deepwater Horizon” tells a story that involves intense conversations about PSI and equipment problems on the rig. It is both crucial and admirable that they thought to include such technical info, but it does lead to a rather dry narrative. The audience does not get to know these characters outside of their mundane routine on the day the disaster occurs and consequently, the audience feels nothing more towards the characters than a basic hope. One does not feel as if they are witnessing Mike and Mr. Jimmy attempt to guide people to safety but rather Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell doing some rather impressive stunts.
It is astonishing, to say the least. When the Deepwater Horizon suffers a malfunction, it’s not a small-scale portable issue; rather, it is a nightmare coming to fruition, complete with water, mud, oil, and subsequently, fire everywhere. To say that the fact that anyone escaped is amazing is an understatement, and Berg and his technical crew know how to craft a disaster realism film that keeps its audience on the edges of their seats long enough to forgive most of the film’s shortcomings. There are explosions accompanying fire, creaking metal and people floating around in horrific ways. It leaves one impressed, but in the end, it feels empty. “Deepwater Horizon” far too frequently seems like a distant cousin of “Battleship” in that it focuses on set designs and large scale action show pieces than on the human factor. It is also one of those films that continuously blends the geography and chronology of the events that took place. The most engaging part of the film is the first time the explosion happens and water coupled with mud showers out of the chamber. One can still feel the presence of dedicated individuals attempting to control the situation before it escalates catastrophically. After that point, all one can sense is indistinguishable noise and fire.
People died because BP cut corners. But how should we spin this into a captivating narrative, while simultaneously creating an art piece that serves a community affected by the tragedy? This is a complicated issue, and it is one that the film never accomplishes. There is a more daring version of ‘Deepwater Horizon’ which dives into the stories of those on the rig and not just focus on the fateful day (perhaps more than just the fateful day would have helped). ‘Deepwater Horizon’ gets the explosions just right, but it’s everything around them—the people, the aftermath, the tragedy—that it misses. That is the more challenging story—the one that puts the fire and oil into context so we are able to understand the impact beyond human life. Peter Berg could have made that film. But perhaps to do so, he needed to be there from the start.
To watch more movies like visit Deepwater Horizon (2016) 123movies.
