BLACK SEA (B)

The Quick Fix: Intimate, intriguing and intense

The Bottom Line: Examining the depths to which greed can take a man, this wholly immersive submarine treasure hunt is a welcome addition to January’s stale slate of sucky cinema…  It may not quite navigate the deeper waters of superior sub films, but it still finds a way to feel fresh, efficient and engaging in its own right.  Jude Law delivers a riveting and commandingly gruff performance as a scorned captain hell-bent on retrieving rumored booty on the sea bed – and his rag-tag, shipmate skeleton crew (admittedly, all written fairly surface level) are perfectly cast and add varied levels of tension and trust aboard their rusted-out, well-past-it’s-prime undersea vessel.  You’ll be swept away by the ruggedly gritty, tension-riddled, claustrophobically old school vibe this flick oozes…  It’s a thoroughly engaging ride!  It’s may not be in the same league as The Hunt for Red October, Das Boot or Crimson Tide (to name a few of the greats) – but I’d still find it hard to fathom someone not enjoying this well made deep sea thriller.

Starring: Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, David Threlfall and Scoot McNairy

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and STATE OF PLAY)

Rated: R (for language throughout, some graphic images and violence)

Running time: 115 minutes

Studio description: A rogue submarine captain pulls together a misfit crew to go after a sunken treasure rumored to be lost in the depths of the Black Sea. As greed and desperation take control onboard their claustrophobic vessel, the increasing uncertainty of the mission causes the men to turn on each other to fight for their own survival. (C) Focus

Official site: www.focusfeatures.com/blacksea