The Perfect Storm

Starring: George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg

Three words come to mind after I watched this movie: too much water. When it comes to movies about
human drama, not every director, especially Wolfgang Petersen's who directed this movie, finds that
crucial spot where the audience feels connected to the film's story. To be more direct, this
movie simply misses the emotional message the book, from which the screenplay is adapted,
once conveyed.

The first hour into the movie we are supposed to learn about the characters lives so we can end up
sympathizing for them, a clich� that doesn't always work, following the course of events in the next
sixty minutes of the film. It doesn't work. I just sat watching and waiting for the great special
effects and this was no Titanic. At least Titanic made me feel mesmerized by its special effects,
the story made me cry, made me laugh, made me anxious, I rooted for the hero, I hated the villain,
felt for the characters and their destiny and I wanted to know more. The Perfect Storm just made
me feel wet.

As for the performances, George Clooney is convincing, charming, sexy and that's it.
Mark Wahlberg is good as well; he's a good actor in a not so good movie, directed by a not so good
director. You have to give the cast some credit for being directed by Mr. Petersen, who showed little
heart in making this movie when this movie should have had a big heart. The characters should
have been the emotional focus in this film. Instead, the focus was on lots of water, an indestructible
boat and a subplot that felt like a fill-in to a weak script. The result was as tasteful as low-fat cake.
The Perfect Storm is far from being perfect, in fact it's pretty much forgettable.

Grade:

Greg Lopez