Jude Law sparkles in Black Sea |
From Russia with Gold
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: A suspenseful adventure thriller directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald, centering on a rogue submarine captain (two-time Academy Award nominee Jude Law) who pulls together a misfit crew to go after a sunken treasure rumored to be lost in the depths of the Black Sea. As greed and desperation take control onboard their claustrophobic vessel, the increasing uncertainty of the mission causes the men to turn on each other to fight for their own survival.
It's not Das Boot, nor Crimson Tide; but Black Sea manages to hold its own, thanks to a good story (Dennis Kelly) great direction and a stirring turn by Law. The latter sparkles in a thankfully low-key manner (the anti-Dom Hemingway) that still rings strong. There's plenty of tension, aided by a wonderful Brits vs. Russian dynamic... not to mention a hint of sentimentality, and even humor. As you can imagine, things don't go as expected, resulting in all kinds of (interesting) mayhem and suspense. Scoot McNairy remarks early on, "This wreck's gonna sink." He couldn't have been more wrong.
Grade: B