I wasn't really sure what to think of this movie when I first saw the trailers. The story sounded interesting and I was actually reminded of when these guys were trapped down there. How can you mess up a movie like that? Well, as soon as I saw that the film was in English I started to worry a little bit. What's wrong with using the native tongue and giving us subtitles? Can we lazy Americans not read? Whatever the reason was, it worried me a little bit. Fortunately, the movie is actually pretty good and I forgot about the language thing fairly soon after it began. I've never heard of the director before, a woman named Patricia Riggen, but I believe the film was well directed and I enjoyed what we were given.
The story is based off of the true story of 33 Chilean miners that end up being buried underground inside a gold and copper mine. Everyone knows the mine is dangerous but the higher ups aren't willing to do anything to correct the problem and the guys inside suffer because of it. As strange as it sounds, these guys actually manage to pull together and ration their food until drillers on the outside are able to get food through to them. While the miners suffer on the inside, families, drillers, and one particular politician work to get them out on the outside.
We actually got some pretty good talent for this film but I feel a little weird about some of the inclusions. Before we get to that, let's talk about some of the stand-outs. Antonio Banderas gets the most screen time as Mario Sepulveda. He's a family man and easy going guy at first but ends up taking on the role of the leader when the mine starts collapsing. We see many sides to Mario during the film but he always comes through to help his fellow workers. Banderas pulls off this role extremely well and it's nice to see him play something a bit more serious for a change. The spearhead of the rescue operation on the outside, Laurence Goldborne, is played by Rodrigo Santoro. He does a pretty good job as the Minister of Mining and almost seems like he's portrayed as a kind of saint. He always goes out of his way to do the right thing and wants to help the miners and their families. Everyone else does a decent to great job as well but there's a few things that bug me about the cast to the movie.
Do Chilean actors and actresses just not exist in Hollywood? I mean, at least go for some more people that are actually Hispanic but there are a lot of people in this film that don't feel like they belong. For example, Juliette Binoche is an excellent actress but why in the world was she chosen to get the most screen time out of all the other ladies and she's the one that's not Hispanic? She does a fine job but it is a little jarring right at first. Bob Gunton and Gabriel Byrne also stood out like sore thumbs to me and it makes me wonder if they ran out of Hispanic actors and actresses. Don't get me wrong, these are all talented people but I didn't for a single second believe they were a different ethnicity.
Fortunately, the movie is still pretty good even though there are some scenes that took me out of the experience. The best parts of the film actually take place inside the mine. The mine itself is almost complete darkness because of the lack of light which really helps to set the mood and makes the situation seem even more hopeless. Seeing all of them pull through together and help one another shows just how resilient humanity can be. I know the families on the outside were worried about their loved ones but the struggles of the miners are what we really want to see.
Despite a few complaints, this is still a really enjoyable film. The story is interesting (and true!) and the scenes inside the mine are really well done and help to make the situation seem even more hopeless. The acting is also excellent in the movie but I couldn't help but notice the lack of actual Hispanic actors and actresses. Still, it's a small complaint considering how good the film is. I would recommend giving it a watch if you're in the mood for a good drama and a true story.
The story is based off of the true story of 33 Chilean miners that end up being buried underground inside a gold and copper mine. Everyone knows the mine is dangerous but the higher ups aren't willing to do anything to correct the problem and the guys inside suffer because of it. As strange as it sounds, these guys actually manage to pull together and ration their food until drillers on the outside are able to get food through to them. While the miners suffer on the inside, families, drillers, and one particular politician work to get them out on the outside.
We actually got some pretty good talent for this film but I feel a little weird about some of the inclusions. Before we get to that, let's talk about some of the stand-outs. Antonio Banderas gets the most screen time as Mario Sepulveda. He's a family man and easy going guy at first but ends up taking on the role of the leader when the mine starts collapsing. We see many sides to Mario during the film but he always comes through to help his fellow workers. Banderas pulls off this role extremely well and it's nice to see him play something a bit more serious for a change. The spearhead of the rescue operation on the outside, Laurence Goldborne, is played by Rodrigo Santoro. He does a pretty good job as the Minister of Mining and almost seems like he's portrayed as a kind of saint. He always goes out of his way to do the right thing and wants to help the miners and their families. Everyone else does a decent to great job as well but there's a few things that bug me about the cast to the movie.
Do Chilean actors and actresses just not exist in Hollywood? I mean, at least go for some more people that are actually Hispanic but there are a lot of people in this film that don't feel like they belong. For example, Juliette Binoche is an excellent actress but why in the world was she chosen to get the most screen time out of all the other ladies and she's the one that's not Hispanic? She does a fine job but it is a little jarring right at first. Bob Gunton and Gabriel Byrne also stood out like sore thumbs to me and it makes me wonder if they ran out of Hispanic actors and actresses. Don't get me wrong, these are all talented people but I didn't for a single second believe they were a different ethnicity.
Fortunately, the movie is still pretty good even though there are some scenes that took me out of the experience. The best parts of the film actually take place inside the mine. The mine itself is almost complete darkness because of the lack of light which really helps to set the mood and makes the situation seem even more hopeless. Seeing all of them pull through together and help one another shows just how resilient humanity can be. I know the families on the outside were worried about their loved ones but the struggles of the miners are what we really want to see.
Despite a few complaints, this is still a really enjoyable film. The story is interesting (and true!) and the scenes inside the mine are really well done and help to make the situation seem even more hopeless. The acting is also excellent in the movie but I couldn't help but notice the lack of actual Hispanic actors and actresses. Still, it's a small complaint considering how good the film is. I would recommend giving it a watch if you're in the mood for a good drama and a true story.