By LILA SEIDMAN | Reporter
There’s disaster on the cinematic horizon—“Deepwater Horizon,” that is.
But this isn’t a nameless, placeless, imagined disaster, it’s an effects-heavy restaging of the tragic 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil rig disaster—which caused 11 deaths and a massive oil spill, reigning as the worst ecological incident in U.S. history.
The Peter Berg-directed film doesn’t skimp on the star power: Mark Wahlberg takes center stage as everyman Mike Williams, who relishes in quality time with his family, including wife Felicia, portrayed by Palisadian Kate Hudson, before heading off to his job at the BP-operated oil rig. John Malkovich epitomizes the iniquitous BP oil exec as Donald Vidrine. Kurt Russell also makes an appearance as rough-hewed, veteran oil rigger Mr. Jimmy.
Reviews have (seemingly) unanimously praised the film’s spectacular, albeit harrowing, visuals.
“When all hell breaks loose, Berg stages the action horribly well, capturing the panic and gruesome mayhem without the film ever feeling exploitative,” Benjamin Lee wrote in the Guardian. Water, mud, oil and fire scar the screen.
It’s worth a trip to IMAX.
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