Deepwater Horizon

FilipeManuelNeto

Nov 18, 2022

6/10

**Very well-balanced, the film does not tire us and provides good entertainment.** Disaster and accident films are common, although I feel that, for the last ten years, this has been an underexplored genre. The film is based on a true incident where a massive oil drilling rig suffered critical safety failures, eventually catching fire and collapsing. After investigations, the inadequate operation of a team that was supposed to place a cement lining in the hole opened by the platform was responsible for what happened, as well as the lack of maintenance of the equipment, all situations that would have been avoided if the company contracting the platform, BP, had really been less avaricious in relation to the costs and delays of the undertaking. The film is quite good, it offers us quality entertainment without major flaws, but this does not mean that it is free from important criticism. In fact, the script could be better if there wasn't such a long delay, at the beginning of the film, to reach the platform. I got the idea that the film takes a long time to gain interest and wastes time, in this initial phase, with aspects of lesser relevance. I also felt that it ends very abruptly, without much consideration being given, beyond the statements in the later process. Observing the way the film was structured and thought out, it becomes quite obvious that Mark Wahlberg was thought of as the protagonist, the main actor of the film. However, the truth is that the actor erases himself throughout the film and seems to avoid appearing or doing anything that makes him heroic and worthy of this role. Personally, I think it's one of the weakest and most uninteresting performances by the actor, whose merits, abilities or talent – ​​caveat – are not up for debate. Much better, stronger, more impactful and more present on screen, Kurt Russell deserves praise for a job well done. He steals attention whenever he appears or says something. I also enjoyed the contributions by Gina Rodríguez and John Malkovich. The film had the competent direction of Peter Berg. He was not always successful in his efforts, there are actually some issues of rhythm and editing that should have been worked on better, but it ends up deserving a very positive note, especially if we take into account that he managed to prevent a film so susceptible to eventual CGI overdoses to be turned into an avalanche of effects and technical resources without script support. This is a recurring flaw in disaster movies, and we've seen how much it hurt other productions, like “2012”, for example. The resources are here, the CGI is very evident in the film, and it is, in fact, striking and imposing, but it is not absorbing to the point of making us feel like we are watching something fictional. Another point of success in the technical aspects of this film is the subtle harmony between the construction and development of the characters and the tension that, gradually and unhurriedly, builds up until the accident. A truly realistic scenario and good costumes and soundtrack complete the technical composition of a film that does not tire us and entertains us without being a masterpiece.