Turning Tide (2013) User Reviews

En Solitaire: get a glimpse of how exciting sailing could be in the present years

[niutta-enrico · 7/10 · 26 May 2014]

I probably should not have reviewed this title: I enjoyed it but I am a sailor and it's easy to understand that I am not objective: many things that mean so much to me (Cape Horn, the Roaring Forties, Icebergs in Southern Atlantic or just Sailing itself) could be completely meaningless to people who do not sail.

There are two reasons why I'm writing this note: first at present (surprisingly enough) there are no other reviews for this movie; second, its success in France has been so great that I can't believe it could have been due only to hordes of sailors filling the theaters.

It's a beautiful sea movie with a very simple plot, don't expect anything astounding or particularly original: it just shows the feelings that any of you, alone at sea, would have for your fellow men. The film has been made by people who clearly know very well the world of yacht racing and offers you the chance to get a glimpse of what it means today to sail around the world: did you know how fast modern sailboats could run? Enjoy.

High drama on the high seas

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 4 April 2015]

Francois Cluzet stars as Yann Kermadec who is taking part in a solo round the World yacht race. He got the opportunity after his boss had an accident, leaving the way open for him to realise his dream of winning the Vendée Globe race. Then after a few days out he sustains damage to his boat and has to lay up for repairs off the coast of the Canary Islands.

Though he has lost two days he soon makes up for lost time - then he discovers something that will not only upset his chances of winning but also has the potential to ruin everything. To say any more could be a plot spoiler.

This is a really well made film and would almost make you want to go yachting as it makes it look so much fun - albeit dangerous. Cluzet is his sparkling self and brings a real sense of immediacy to the role. He has to battle the elements and keep in contact with the other competitors as well as his home team; all the time trying to make up for the time he has lost.

If you like boating, or just enjoy a really good human story with some fine acting then this will be one you will want to see.

Sea Fever

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 1 October 2014]

It's amazing what a good director, a superb leading actor, and a fine cameraman can do with a subject that is arguably targeting a specialised audience. By now Francois Cluzet and Guillaume Canet are old hands at the game with three or four collaborations under their collective belt, including the outstanding ne le dis a personne (Tell No One) which Canet adapted and directed from the novel by Harlan Coben and in which Cluzet played the lead (with Canet himself taking a small role). This time around Cluzet gets the lion's share of screen time after deputising for the injured Canet in a round-the-world yacht race for solo sailors. Back in the fifties Billy Wilder, shooting The Spirit of St Louis, which was primarily about Charles Lindbergh's solo crossing of the Atlantic, solved the problem of too much screen time with just one actor (James Stewart) by introducing a fly into the confined - and sealed - cockpit and allowing Stewart to talk to it. Things move on in fifty years and Cluzet soon discovers a stowaway, anxious to get to France, once he leaves the Canaries. As usual the resident misanthrope at films de France has trashed another fine film but trust me, watch it anyway.

For the sailing aficionado

[matlamarre · 6/10 · 29 December 2014]

One could argue there are better high seas movies around - the recent "All is lost" with Robert Redford comes to mind, Ridley Scott's "White squall" is another and even the grand "Master and commander" with Russel Crowe gets the nod. But in terms of cinematography, this one is a stunner. You could almost place this flick in the documentary category, considering the realism of the camera angles, the glimpse at the high-flying technology but also the nonchalant way the plot unfolds (or flattens out like a pancake). But in the end, no one gets hurt and noble values prevail for good family entertainment. For real drama at sea, try to get a hold of the 2008 "Solo-Lost at sea" doc. This one you won't want to watch with the kids...

The other sailing movie

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 23 March 2015]

If you have seen the Robert Redford movie with him sailing completely along, do not expect this to be similar. Only thing that is similar is the main actor is as exceptional. But he does use modern technology to stay in contact with the "outer" world (the "real" world, his family and friends or colleagues), which didn't really happen in "All is lost" with Redford.

This is also a competition movie, where our main character is trying to be first in something. But it seems that not his competitors will be his worst adversary, but someone completely different. If you haven't read the summary, I won't reveal to you, of whom I'm talking about. Be surprised, not only by the plethora of dialog, but how the movie develops. It's tension filled from beginning to end and will be fun to watch even for those not in the know about sailing!

Not much plot, but thrillingly shot aboard a competition boat

[rowmorg · 6/10 · 23 November 2014]

I have no idea whether this film is based on a true story or not. The almost complete absence of plot would suggest it was. The hero (Francois Cluzet) sets out on a single-handed round-the-world race, and his sailboat gets hit by flotsam, which breaks the steering mechanism. He pulls in to the Canaries for repairs, and finds a few days later that a 16 year-old boy has stowed away on board. He is hopping mad, shouting that his trip has to be single-handed or he's done for. The days go by, and he rescues a fellow (female) competitor who is kind to the boy and tells Francois to look after him as she leaves to get into a rescue launch. Cluzet evidently takes this to heart, because he rescues the boy after he escapes in the rescue dinghy, and then won't hand him over to the boat's injured owner (for whom he is standing in) off the Azores. Eventually, he is escorted by scores of vessels into the French harbour and sails deliberately straight past the victory buoys, thereby disqualifying himself. A most unsatisfactory ending that completely fails to explain how this film was a hit in French cinemas. I guess the round-the-world sailing race has a much bigger public in that country. But it doesn't explain their lousy taste in adventure movies. No big recommendation here.

Great journey !

[biancazlotea · 7/10 · 20 January 2019]

I really liked it to be fair. The acting was good and the scenes were gorgeous because it was filmed on water and all. It really gives you a close up to what navigation is, it's ups and downs and the challenges to face. I can't make a very big review because it was a quite simple plot: A middle aged man leaves his girlfriend with his young daughter at home as he needs to replace his brother in law in the Vendée Globe (a round-the-world non-stop single-handed yacht race). Then something happens and it complicates the entire thing. What really touched me was the ending. How everyone gathered around the winner as the person approached the finish line. Shows how much victory can be worth the journey.

Very good sailing movie

[alargy · 9/10 · 17 July 2022]

Excellent cinematography, nice playing by the actors! You almost think this is a real documentary.

I believe it is a thrilling movie for sailers but also interesting for all viewers.

Much better than "All is lost"!!

Great sailing film but that does not excuse the story line

[mgregory-9 · 4/10 · 29 December 2018]

For anyone that it is a fan of watching a racing yacht on the ocean, this is a great movie to watch. Unfortunately the story line is meaningless. Having found that he was not alone, the sailor, Yann Kermadec (Francois Cluzet) should have called for relief and for the stow away to be taken off the yacht at the earliest opportunity. Would he have been disqualified, no.

There was little mention of the two and at one point three people going through the food and water on board, it turns out to be an endless supply.

Whilst the film provides a feel good theme about a young man seeking to get medical help in France, like his uncle, even if it means stowing away on a yacht, the film does not attempt to provide balance on the issues of illegal immigration, one of Europe's biggest problems today.

Whilst there are only a handful of reviews for this film, I recommend watching the film, simply for the photography.

Caught by surprise...

[paul2471 · 9/10 · 18 January 2019]

Caught by surprise is an appropriate heading for this review, as this movie certainly achieved that for me...

Found this movie difficult to walk away from, themes simple and common, yet the challenge so many of us face kept my attention from start to finish.

François Cluzet's portrayal of Yann Kermadec certainly rang true for myself.

Such frustration certainly many have felt at other times, yet here the message clearer, that first we need avoid knee-jerk, so allow time so for us to consider our position, how we should wish to be treated, then work through it...

Samy Seghir as Mano Ixa certainly my sympathy was for, reminder of why refugees need both be fully and properly considered for their reasons resulting in their actions. (Such positions governments often to timid to actually take considering basic human rights.)

Certainly worth viewing and considering for others who may experience so need understand the dillemma's faced by so many as events unfold..

Beautiful, dramatic masterpiece

[martinpersson97 · 10/10 · 16 November 2023]

This stellar french drama, by one of the all time greats in the land's ever impressive filmography, adds yet another stellar installment to his ever epic history of films. And proves yet again how effective this land is at making incredible features.

The actors all do an incredible job, as one would expect from such a legendary cast, and conveys the beautiful script gracefully. It is very expertly paced, combining a more somber character study with faster and exciting pacing.

The cinematography, cutting and editing is great, very much in line with the director's style. Very beauitfully put together.

Overall, truly a great drama, and one that I would very much recommend for any lover of film!