Year of Release: 1989
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Christopher Murphy, Adam Nelson, Jimmi Ray Weeks, J. Kenneth Campbell
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:
After the commercial and critical success of "Aliens", writer/producer/director James Cameron, tackled another original script of his, one that would in a way, introduce the audiences to his love of the Oceans. Much was written at the time about the budget and challenging shooting of this film, but to this day it remains one of his most interesting features, even if the final act feels somewhat unresolved. The film focuses on the story of Bud and Lindsey Brigman, a couple who is going through a bitter divorce. They are reunited when a submarine containing nuclear missiles has an accident and suddenly stops communicating with the command center. Bud works alongside a tightly woven team in deep ocean drilling, on a platform Lindsey conceived and engineered. Even though this team is not affiliated with rescue missions, the army commissions them to go and check for possible survivors, since they're the closest to the last known coordinates of the submarine, and they have some of the most innovative devices for deep sea exploration. They also have to contend with an army team who is not prepared for this type of exploration, and who has an agenda of their own. As they go about seeking the survivors, Bud and Lindsey's relationship continues to be somewhat difficult, though none of them are ready for what they encounter in the depths of the ocean.
What's been consistently interesting about James Cameron's films, is how he always manages to build worlds populated with characters which have their own challenges, giving them just enough time and bandwidth to make an impact on the general narrative. This once again can be attested in "The Abyss". Much like "Aliens", there's a team comprised of very different individuals, who are challenged by a series of obstacles, including a dramatic storm, not to mention the insurrection of a very particular group of characters, and of course, the final surprising discovery, which is in itself reminiscent of Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", but also Ron Howard's "Cocoon". The film has at its core, the possible dissolution of a relationship (something close to Cameron's own life), and the director gives ample space for the actors to illustrate the dynamics of those interactions. Technical wizardry notwithstanding, the film is quite successful at deftly portraying the relationships between all these characters, clearly outlining their roles, even if some of the characters are very basically defined (particularly Michael Biehn's villainous role, who deserved some extra dimension). It's a film that remains as enticing and captivating now as it did when it originally premiered, though the final stretch of the film is somewhat maudlin. The cast is uniformly good, with Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio creating solid characters. The cinematography from Mikael Salomon is stunning as is the score from Alan Silvestri. Always worth revisiting.
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