Reviews

So, should you give up a couple of hours and watch this film. If you're one of those people that are happy to chat with everyone around you while watching films or laugh at parts that are meant to be touching or scary, then no. (Okay, don't get me started on that.) If not, you'll enjoy this film, you'll enjoy the acting and you'll enjoy the atmosphere and the tension. I think the 6.? score is to be honest down to people who'd rather watch a documentary on WW II. Yes the submarine seems a bit roomy at times but that doesn't spoil the drama for me. As for the plot, without giving anything away, the sin at the heart of the story grows larger and darker. I won't say any more, just that you'll see some good actors here that have popped up and become more famous 10 years after this film.

Regardless of the inaccuracy which a lot of reviewers have detailed, your empathy with the main characters is what will make or break this film. While suspending my disbelief, which I do readily when watching a film, I found the bomb defusing scenes tense, but ultimately, the black guy was the only one you felt was real. The young white guy was, oh I don't know, a bit inconsistent. The war junkie protagonist(?) wasn't likable enough for you to get on board with what he was going through. In short I didn't care enough about how the plot was about to unfold. The character arcs were too subtle and not really arcs - a bit of a dog's breakfast alas. The only thing I appreciated was that it did build up a good amount of tension in several scenes - but it sure as hell isn't Oscar worthy.