114 reviews
Seriously, this movie ended without any destination being reached.
It set it up quite well, but there was no point, no conclusion, no deep reveal, no destination traveled to,
I really enjoyed the scenery and some of the dialog, it was like a class on marine biology, and some average concepts on life, but then it just left it there, nothing......
Bit of a waste of the journey if you either don't have anything to say or you don't know how to convey it.
I watched it at Göteborg film festival som days ago. I really wanted to like this but its just didnt click for me.
The actors fail to sell the love story, they dont connect on the screen and that technobabble from Alicia Vikanders character doesnt make it better.
Two parallell stories at once. For this to work the love story need to be sold, but it just doesnt work. I dont belive it when the main characters get outburst, the reaction feels to theatric and it becomes a make belive reaction for show.
To really make the terrorist look bad and evil they put in things that just oversell the evilness of the terrorist. Yes I get it, they are the badguys but it becomes a bit to much.
Sorry. I really wanted to enjoy this but it didnt work for me.
The actors fail to sell the love story, they dont connect on the screen and that technobabble from Alicia Vikanders character doesnt make it better.
Two parallell stories at once. For this to work the love story need to be sold, but it just doesnt work. I dont belive it when the main characters get outburst, the reaction feels to theatric and it becomes a make belive reaction for show.
To really make the terrorist look bad and evil they put in things that just oversell the evilness of the terrorist. Yes I get it, they are the badguys but it becomes a bit to much.
Sorry. I really wanted to enjoy this but it didnt work for me.
- zolizolidus-35734
- Feb 1, 2018
- Permalink
I went into this movie with high hopes. There aren't enough romantic dramas out there and I loved that it was described as a "haunting love story." Well... it was more like a disappointing love story to me. Without giving away any spoilers, the format of this movie intercuts between the past romance and the current separation of the two main characters portrayed by James McAvoy and Alicia Vikander. While I like both of these actors individually, I didn't really feel the chemistry between them. That said, I was still interested in their separate storylines (he is taken prisoner by jihadists and she is doing deep water sea exploration). But... after all that waiting, I didn't think the ending was very well done.
- harry_tk_yung
- Oct 13, 2018
- Permalink
All the wonderful talented actors where mocked by the boringness of a thin story and weird long scenes that had no soul to them. I am so sorry this movie has failed. It has some of my favorite actors in it and it was just bad directing and a sad music score. The attempt to bind the story, characters and scenes together with water was awkwardly done and Far fetched. I am sure the script must have been good to lure these talented actors to participate. But movies like this can partially kill an actors career. I hope this is not the case. I felt it was utterly a waste of time with unrealistic conversations that felt misplaced. The movie only had a few good scenes. I am very disappointed and I didn't expect anything crazy anyways.
- markbarner
- May 30, 2018
- Permalink
The movie is a bit slow and there's some scenes it could do without, but ultimately it is a good movie!
It tells a beautiful story about love, loss, and hope; and if you're a James or Alicia fan it is definitely worth watching. Their performances are amazing and captivating, and you can feel the chemistry.
It tells a beautiful story about love, loss, and hope; and if you're a James or Alicia fan it is definitely worth watching. Their performances are amazing and captivating, and you can feel the chemistry.
- stevhawk65
- Jun 9, 2019
- Permalink
In spite of its very low 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I watched it because of the lead cast, namely James McAvoy and Alicia Vikander. It's indeed not a great movie, but I didn't feel it deserved such animosity. It's just a plain, "meh", movie. A man and a woman meet during holidays in some sort of vacation village at the French Atlantic coast. He's an agent from the MI6 and she's a oceanographer (he presents himself under the cover of another job). They each take a few days off before an important mission; for him to go obtain intelligence about an IS leader in Africa and her to dive in a deep-sea submarine to find about life at the bottom of the ocean. They fall in love and promise that they'll see each other again. As she engages into the sea, he is taken prisoner, and somehow... (insert some sort of mystical, spiritual stuff). Well, the movie doesn't quite deliver on the spiritual part; the two story-lines just have really nothing in common.
I didn't really mind this lack of overall consistency. There is the first part which is the long, full-fledged love arc in the vacation village. There are some cheesy dialogues and mood music that are reminiscent of weekdays afternoon TV movies but the important cast and the thematic around their characters' jobs (MI6 agent an oceanographer) gave me enough goodwill to care and find some sort of chemistry in their relationship. The second part alternates between him being a prisoner of IS and her going to her day-to-day oceanographic research (before the final dive). Again, it's quite superficial and nothing really stands out, but it's followable. There are nice shots of the sea and of the submarine.
On the technical side the sound mixing was bad and it was hard to understand the dialogues over the background sounds. Some of the framing was awkward, again evocative of TV movies. I watched it without minding, and went on with my life. I've seen way worse and endured way more boredom in films that are considered way better.
I didn't really mind this lack of overall consistency. There is the first part which is the long, full-fledged love arc in the vacation village. There are some cheesy dialogues and mood music that are reminiscent of weekdays afternoon TV movies but the important cast and the thematic around their characters' jobs (MI6 agent an oceanographer) gave me enough goodwill to care and find some sort of chemistry in their relationship. The second part alternates between him being a prisoner of IS and her going to her day-to-day oceanographic research (before the final dive). Again, it's quite superficial and nothing really stands out, but it's followable. There are nice shots of the sea and of the submarine.
On the technical side the sound mixing was bad and it was hard to understand the dialogues over the background sounds. Some of the framing was awkward, again evocative of TV movies. I watched it without minding, and went on with my life. I've seen way worse and endured way more boredom in films that are considered way better.
I am shocked at the negative feedback to this film. It is by no means perfect, but I was moved and genuinely enjoyed it.
The Good: -The acting is fantastic from every performer. -the MUSIC -it's beautiful to look at
The Negative: -I feel they took too long introducing the characters and letting their love form. On one hand, yes it's nice to not see feelings rushed and force you to try and care. But on the other hand the film isn't about them falling in love, it's about their passions for their respective causes, and that bringing out the best in both of them by seeing it through their love. -Danny's story wasn't near as interesting to me as James's was. Not because of the performances, but I believe the script could have used some tightening, and focused more on the purpose of her expedition instead of her not being able to focus on it because he hasn't replied to her.
Overall:
Solid film, I think it is a bit too long but at the same time I didn't expect it to end, it is very sad and makes you think for awhile after. It's honestly in my opinion, a great film to watch by yourself and just invest yourself into.
7/10
The Good: -The acting is fantastic from every performer. -the MUSIC -it's beautiful to look at
- James's story I felt to be very interesting and compelling.
The Negative: -I feel they took too long introducing the characters and letting their love form. On one hand, yes it's nice to not see feelings rushed and force you to try and care. But on the other hand the film isn't about them falling in love, it's about their passions for their respective causes, and that bringing out the best in both of them by seeing it through their love. -Danny's story wasn't near as interesting to me as James's was. Not because of the performances, but I believe the script could have used some tightening, and focused more on the purpose of her expedition instead of her not being able to focus on it because he hasn't replied to her.
Overall:
Solid film, I think it is a bit too long but at the same time I didn't expect it to end, it is very sad and makes you think for awhile after. It's honestly in my opinion, a great film to watch by yourself and just invest yourself into.
7/10
- travis_landry23
- Jun 15, 2018
- Permalink
I understand why people would see it as boring, it has philosophy in it, a depth that not everybody can reach. The actors play their parts magnificat, I was waiting for MacAvoy to do something like this and it wasn't a surprise from Vikander. I loved it and I hope more intelligent people would watch so that the rating will go up but again, it's not for mainstream audiences, they only need obvious entertainment, explosions and action.
- cristina-679-5038
- May 16, 2018
- Permalink
- Horst_In_Translation
- Aug 2, 2018
- Permalink
- MovieIQTest
- Apr 15, 2018
- Permalink
This movie could have worked, and in some ways it really does. Though some people don't agree, I found the chemistry between Vikander and McAvoy to be good and very believable.
What wasn't at all believable was the script. Oh looordy, lord, there's some bad lines in there. Everything drowned in pointless talks about the ocean and suuuure it's an analogy and all, but yeezus give it a rest, will ya? The story isn't really there. It could have been an epic love story, but it's not - though that's not the actor's fault. Vikander and McAvoy give it everything they have to deliver those at times painful lines.
If you love everything else Vikander has done, you'll probably like this one as well. The male gaze is all over her, and it truly works.
The cinematography for this film is absolutely spectacular and almost worth the time just because of that (almost).
What wasn't at all believable was the script. Oh looordy, lord, there's some bad lines in there. Everything drowned in pointless talks about the ocean and suuuure it's an analogy and all, but yeezus give it a rest, will ya? The story isn't really there. It could have been an epic love story, but it's not - though that's not the actor's fault. Vikander and McAvoy give it everything they have to deliver those at times painful lines.
If you love everything else Vikander has done, you'll probably like this one as well. The male gaze is all over her, and it truly works.
The cinematography for this film is absolutely spectacular and almost worth the time just because of that (almost).
- celinedecarr
- Nov 30, 2018
- Permalink
The awkward moment when u ship James and Micheal and then Find a Movie where James and Micheal's wife played a couple. Damn
- evilista-82109
- Aug 14, 2019
- Permalink
Alica can not reach the realistic mood of james mcavoy. that's a problem for me. they are not a match, I guess. keira knightley would be a far better choice.
- ahmettopacoglu
- Apr 12, 2018
- Permalink
Oh, yes! Let's film a movie featuring constant, annoying background moody music, sound effects and outright noises that are so loud and distracting you can't even hear the dialog. Great idea! There may be a decent movie buried under the noise. Who knows? Marginally talented filmmakers with outsized egos invariably produce not art but rank amateurism. Whoops, I hear Alicia. Turn up the ocean noise!
- toneybrooks2003
- Apr 13, 2018
- Permalink
Would have liked it if they made two stories instead of the highly improbable melding into one (It was like putting a right hand glove on the left hand - just didn't fit). Didn't have a focus; dragged; lots of stereotypes (e.g. guy uses well worn lines to pick up attractive female at hotel/resort - ughhh!). Too predictable scenarios & acting for both parties - the guy & the female. It's good that Vikander looks younger than she is, but she looks like an older teen which makes this a creepy pickup romance.
- westsideschl
- May 27, 2018
- Permalink
- Easygoer10
- Jun 23, 2020
- Permalink
Where is the story connection and what the film tries to deliver?
Very dull & repeated stereotyping.
Very dull & repeated stereotyping.
- waelbritishcouncil
- Apr 13, 2018
- Permalink