THE PERFECT STORM
A Warner Bros. release

review by Joseph B. Mauceri

SYNOPSIS: The film is based on the actual events of that took place during the worst record storm in history, which hit Halloween 1991. The film explores the possible conditions and the ordeal the crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail faced on the night it disappeared during these monestrous weather conditions.

REVIEW: Director Wolfgang Petersen is a skilled and complex cinematic storyteller. Most of his films present tales that focus on characters attempting to overcome impossible odds. While Peterson's cinematic journeys span the globe, a few ventures into the realms of science fiction and fantasy, It was his 1982 undersea epic, "Das Boot," that gained him critical acclaim.

With THE PERFECT STORM he again tackles the blight of the common man, but this time the enemy is the faceless force of nature. To tell this story, the filmmakers require a massive amount of stunt work, special effects and CGI to take the audience along on the fated journey of the Andrea Gail. Petersen allows these elements to encapsulate his actors, and never allows them to become more important then the tale. They are impressive and breathtaking, but audiences will remember them through the actors facing these obstacles.

THE PERFECT STORM is gripping because of Petersen's camera work and the talented cast. The crew of the Andrea Gail comes across as a hard-working bunch of regular guys. The feel like real people, like someone you might have met once. You can still recall their rough calloused hands, and they are hungry. We can identify with their motivations to try another time, and hopefully grab that brass ring. Clooney delivers his most memorable performance to date. He is a man haunted by his reputation, driven to pursue that "big catch" like Ahab after the white whale. The camera captures that haunted glare, bordering on madness. The other side of Clooney's role is a passionate, hardworking stiff. He's gruff and down on his luck, but he's still the salt of the earth. There are times he is fighting the storm and Clooney looks like Bogart at the helm of his boat in "The African Queen."

The mystery and allure of the sea have claimed its fair share of men who have tried to best her and failed. What makes THE PERFECT STORM tragic is that this kind of tragedy can take place in this technical age. Unfortunately, these modern times include a generation of fishermen that must face the problems of their industry. The crew of the Andrea Gail went farther then they should have, chasing their American dream. They paid for it with their lives, and their loved ones are still paying the bill. Petersen captures all that on film. The spectacular effects give the audience a feel for how the men who work the high sea constantly test themselves, and their luck each time they head out onto those waters. THE PERFECT STORM is a monumental epic that stands as a testimonial to these characters, and the filmmakers who were brave enough to tell their story without altering it to meet with typical Hollywood expectations.

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
http://www.perfectstorm.net/

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