I was excited when I saw a blurb earlier this year about In The Heart of the Sea coming to the big screen in 2015. I’ve stated numerous times that Nathaniel Philbrick’s novel of the same name is the most descriptive book I’ve ever read. But Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex had a way to make me feel I was actually in the book. I read this book on a whim, probably seven or eight years ago, and was utterly engrossed. I didn’t understand the place of this movie in the context of historical literature. I learned that it was set to be released in 2015, directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13), and starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Rush), which got me even more excited. Finally, I learned that this would have a December release. Unfortunately, it has failed to meet its critics’ expectations and has been squashed. Still, In The Heart of the Sea was my most anticipated movie of the year. This movie met all of my expectations and then some. It was exactly like the novel, and I gave it a solid A. However, I could envision a scenario where this movie might not be as enjoyable as it was for me.
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Category Archives: Brendan Gleeson
Suffragette (2015)
I’m not sure how Sarah Gavron’s (Village At The End Of The World, Brick Lane) Suffragette could have been a film that I truly enjoyed. I’m not the biggest fan of British historical dramas, and this was not a movie I went to see for enjoyment. It was a film I went to see because I always try to see every movie that could receive a nomination for a Best Six Academy Award. It’s unlikely that this film will receive any recognition, but it generated some buzz before its release. In any regard, I knew this would be a movie I would end up seeing. Is it a bad movie? Not at all. It’s actually a very educational movie that has some above-average acting performances. However, unfortunately, it was very predictable (which I had expected) and not nearly as riveting as it could have been (also something I had expected). Also, if you are hoping to experience the annual Meryl Streep (Doubt, The Devil Wears Prada) Oscar nomination, this isn’t it. She has only one scene and appears on screen for less than two minutes.