The 33 of San Jose

A remarkable work, less a film about the events than the film of them. The camera largely stays with the miners trapped 700 meters underground, and with the rescue group of fellow miners and engineers and the miners' wives and daughters in the immediate area around the mine. The international circus is scarcely mentioned nor are the safety failures which were no revelation to the men who knew the mine was unsafe but needed the money and worked there anyway. There are no production frills and the cast convey an authenticity that makes one feel they could be playing themselves. It is an affecting work that evokes powerful emotions and comes across as a heart felt tribute more than an entertainment.