In order to make good with his former employers, a submarine captain takes a job with a shadowy backer to search the depths of the Black Sea for a submarine rumored to be loaded with gold.
Macdonald’s thriller tries to channel everything from Das Boot to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but never finds its sea legs.
Director Kevin Macdonald creates some great scenes of subaquatic tension, but Law’s Aberdonian accent makes Groundskeeper Willie sound authentic.
Enjoyable thriller.
Though it perhaps inevitably lives in the shadow of some subgenre masterpieces, Black Sea is a superbly shot men-on-a-mission thriller with chest-tightening tension and a striking contemporary resonance.
Verdict: Submarine thriller without depth.
Even the impoverished find it tough to resist the capitalist scourge.
A film that is very strong on atmosphere becomes increasingly far-fetched the deeper the submarine sinks.
Black Sea is well–crafted and handled with reliable professionalism by its Oscar–winning director.
Black Sea may not be a groundbreaking drama, but it’s an effective genre thriller that grapples with real world issues and offers another interesting challenge for Law – accent and all.
It’s impressively ambitious and Law is convincing. Such a daft story, however, would have worked better as a straightforward romp.
While it may not rival the films to which it alludes, this remains a convincingly muscular genre piece with plenty of dramatic clout.
Black Sea may not be subtle, but it is certainly entertaining.
Interview: Kevin MacDonald talks Black Sea
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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