Don't expect much more than a few amusing laughs from this sorry movie. What may at first seem like an American version of 'Dead Calm,' turns out to be something trying to develop into a psychological thriller. But it doesn't take anything important that was meant to at least put you on edge (if not eerily suspicious of most of the characters in that psychological thriller sense).
The story is that of five obnoxious members aboard a yacht for the afternoon. Viggo Mortensen steps out of his frequented tender roles to play a pretty sleazy, filthy rich defense lawyer, as well as the self-appointed captain of the weekend tour. We start out with some reservations about the characters, wondering what each of them has to offer, which is natural in a thriller context. You're presented a front with these characters, which is gradually supposed to break down and tease you for awhile, before revealing the real nature of each. Only, one half hour into the movie, and pretty much all we're given is that the people aboard the boat don't really like Bill (Donal Logue), the red-headed writer and weren't expecting him to come along. Other than that, we just a flurry of meaningless conversation and some dumb jokes. And it just goes on and on like that.
Somewhere along the line, Bill notices a boat is ablaze on the horizon and two members of the crew are flagging them down for help. We know how much of a jerk Phil is, because he doesn't want anything to do with the two helpless survivors stranded aboard the boat, preferring instead to let the coast guard take care of it. But the rest of the crew can't seem to understand what Phil's problem is and encourage the two strangers aboard and offer help.
Posing as stranded immigrants Timothy Grant (Sisto) and Laura (Camella Marquez), they soon reveal themselves to be quite a scheming pair, and hold the crew hostage at gun point. And Timothy, a bisexual transvestite is very on edge and has some plan to meet his boyfriend out in the middle of the ocean--for what I don't exactly know. The whole plan seems stupid, and well, Grant isn't exactly a guy who has it all together anyways. This part of the story is like an aquatic version of 'Dog Day Afternoon' only it isn't funny at all. It's just stupid.
Not to mention the fact that as things flare up among the group with Bill being more sympathetic of Tim and Laura and us being more intolerant of the rest of the crew, especially that asshole Phil. But no one seems to take anything seriously. It is more like, Bill, Tim, and Laura become estranged to a crew that is revealed as increasingly apathetic to the situation (except Phil, who just wants his damn boat back).
We're even given reason to despise everyone but Bill, Tim, and Laura, as we find out their relationship to one another. But even those reasons don't matter much, especially since they are really inconsequential whereas, the viewer would probably agree foisting them off on a deserted island if they were truly revealed as vicious characters. We are never given anything that could really give us the true value of their ways. And by this point, maybe something good could have come of it, an interesting element to the story. Nope. Still no signs of life though.
By the mid-end, the crew is driven out to the ocean while Tim tries to get a hold of Gary. He puts all of them on a nearby island (why one guy who didn't even hang on to his gun half the time couldn't have been jumped by at least four crew members by this point is beyond me) and meanwhile, all of this takes place pretty much in the middle of nowhere. And while Tim's getting all uncontrollable with Gary on the phone back on the boat, none of the crew seems to take seriously their opportunity for escape and rescue. They do take a chance beating him up, but after they do, they just leave him lying there on the ground while Phil and Bill complain about the boat somemore. And the finale is just as stupid.
This is one of the worst "thrillers" I have ever seen, because nothing in the movie really works to thrill you.
The story is that of five obnoxious members aboard a yacht for the afternoon. Viggo Mortensen steps out of his frequented tender roles to play a pretty sleazy, filthy rich defense lawyer, as well as the self-appointed captain of the weekend tour. We start out with some reservations about the characters, wondering what each of them has to offer, which is natural in a thriller context. You're presented a front with these characters, which is gradually supposed to break down and tease you for awhile, before revealing the real nature of each. Only, one half hour into the movie, and pretty much all we're given is that the people aboard the boat don't really like Bill (Donal Logue), the red-headed writer and weren't expecting him to come along. Other than that, we just a flurry of meaningless conversation and some dumb jokes. And it just goes on and on like that.
Somewhere along the line, Bill notices a boat is ablaze on the horizon and two members of the crew are flagging them down for help. We know how much of a jerk Phil is, because he doesn't want anything to do with the two helpless survivors stranded aboard the boat, preferring instead to let the coast guard take care of it. But the rest of the crew can't seem to understand what Phil's problem is and encourage the two strangers aboard and offer help.
Posing as stranded immigrants Timothy Grant (Sisto) and Laura (Camella Marquez), they soon reveal themselves to be quite a scheming pair, and hold the crew hostage at gun point. And Timothy, a bisexual transvestite is very on edge and has some plan to meet his boyfriend out in the middle of the ocean--for what I don't exactly know. The whole plan seems stupid, and well, Grant isn't exactly a guy who has it all together anyways. This part of the story is like an aquatic version of 'Dog Day Afternoon' only it isn't funny at all. It's just stupid.
Not to mention the fact that as things flare up among the group with Bill being more sympathetic of Tim and Laura and us being more intolerant of the rest of the crew, especially that asshole Phil. But no one seems to take anything seriously. It is more like, Bill, Tim, and Laura become estranged to a crew that is revealed as increasingly apathetic to the situation (except Phil, who just wants his damn boat back).
We're even given reason to despise everyone but Bill, Tim, and Laura, as we find out their relationship to one another. But even those reasons don't matter much, especially since they are really inconsequential whereas, the viewer would probably agree foisting them off on a deserted island if they were truly revealed as vicious characters. We are never given anything that could really give us the true value of their ways. And by this point, maybe something good could have come of it, an interesting element to the story. Nope. Still no signs of life though.
By the mid-end, the crew is driven out to the ocean while Tim tries to get a hold of Gary. He puts all of them on a nearby island (why one guy who didn't even hang on to his gun half the time couldn't have been jumped by at least four crew members by this point is beyond me) and meanwhile, all of this takes place pretty much in the middle of nowhere. And while Tim's getting all uncontrollable with Gary on the phone back on the boat, none of the crew seems to take seriously their opportunity for escape and rescue. They do take a chance beating him up, but after they do, they just leave him lying there on the ground while Phil and Bill complain about the boat somemore. And the finale is just as stupid.
This is one of the worst "thrillers" I have ever seen, because nothing in the movie really works to thrill you.
