The Finest Hours
(2015)We all live or we all die.
Chris Pine (Star Trek), Holliday Grainger (Cinderella) and Ben Foster (Lone Survivor) lead this true disaster story about the 1952 Pendleton Rescue Mission, following the brave coast guards who journeyed out to save the remaining crewmen left on two oil tankers – wrecked and sinking.
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Directed by Craig Gillespie
Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, Eric Bana
Written by Eric Johnson, Casey Sherman, Paul Tamasy, Michael J. Tougias
On Demand, DVD & Blu-Ray
Available from 1 providers
Flicks Review
BY Dominic Corry Flicks Writer
It's easy to be wary of The Finest Hours – it gives off the whiff of an earnest, manipulative, straight-arrow film, the likes of which could only be released by Disney. It is all those things, but if you're willing to hold your cynicism at bay, it's also an often stirring, highly enjoyable tale of courage in the face of insurmountable odds.... More
I think I'm a little more susceptible to stories of seafaring derring-do than most. It would help explain why I was so off base with general opinion on In The Heart of the Sea and, to a lesser extent, the Point Break remake.
The Finest Hours spoke directly to this susceptibility, and I had a grand old time watching it. There is a weighty tactility and sense of scale in the split-oil tanker scenes that wasn't present in either The Perfect Storm or Titanic.
Chris Pine is a decent, stoic lead, although English actor Holliday Grainger (The Riot Club) steals the show as his fiancée. As the oil tanker's engineer, Casey Affleck projects the kind of wistfulness than only a hardened seaman can muster. And again, it works.
The convincingly-rendered period aesthetic deepened the sense of immersion in the film, and there's a raft of talent in the supporting roles. If the idea of this film is remotely appealing, I urge you to give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.
Turns out the Coast Guard aren't just there to police the police after all.Hide
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The Finest Hours
BY flapper123 superstar
For me this is a chair gripping on the seas drama at its best. A ship is caught in the middle of a storm. the power of the waves has split it in half, Stern from Bow. Without the Bow and the rudder the Stern is left floundering and constantly tossed around like a toy in a washing machine. Seeing the lights on the bridge just gave this scene a bit... More of a haunting feel to it.
Inside the ship, no time for idleness, eveyone is on edge as well as their toes and they quickly learn how to make do with what they got to survive. Great performance from Casey Affleck and fine support from the rest of the cast.
It would take too long to comment on the rest of the film, but fine acting from Chris Pine, Eric Bana and the rest of the cast.
Wonderful story of courage, bravery and may I say it faith. These men deserved the honours.Hide
BY Tuz lister
To be fair I would give this more of a 3 1/2 if that was an option. There are some great visuals, the rescue is very impressive, but they had to Disney it and focus on the love story too much in my opinion. I enjoyed the movie but it probably isn't one I would have gone out of my way to see.
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BY BHaldane lister
Facinating true story of heroism, with spot on period treatment. Great cast, but somewhat wasted (especially Ben Foster), and the Disney sweetness undid the tension for me. A solid film, but not one I'd add to the collection.
BY Andrew-Johnson2 wannabe
Like it says in the title: Solid waterbased action, surprisingly engaging, but flounders when on land. Chris Pine is flat throughout (does his scowl mean he's angry, determined, ashamed or scared this time? What about now?). Holliday Grainger is the only good thing about the film when it's on land - she's great, but it's the sea where all the fun is!
BY John-Power wannabe
Solid cast performances, entertaining, and appears much closer to the facts than most 'Based on a true story' efforts. Very well worth sitting through the credits to see the original photographs etc of the event and crews.
Showing 5 of 14 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
62%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
An intermittently affecting, sanded-edge adventure that feels as if it trundled off the studio production line back when Eisenhower was in office. Full Review
A perfectly entertaining, sometimes quite well-crafted disaster drama that nonetheless retreats from the memory almost as soon as the credits roll. Full Review
The pieces don’t fuse so much as fit together, and much of the action feels instructive rather than immersive. Full Review
Before scoffers scoff, realize that this tale of nautical derring-do has several things going for it to counteract the inherent obviousness of the material. Full Review
Never departs from a tried-and-true formula, but that's one of its quaint charms. Full Review
This unpretentious drama knows its way. Full Review
A strong cast and impressive action sequences can't find subtleties or surprises to enliven a rote period disaster movie. It hits the right points, but mechanically. Full Review
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