los 33 pelicula (2015) Movie Review
Filmmakers face a tough challenge when they retell a story with a well-known ending and manage to create suspense. Steven Spielberg did this with "Bridge of Spies," and now Mexican director Patricia Riggen achieves a similar feat in her film "The 33."
"The 33" brilliantly recreates the 2010 Chilean mine collapse and rescue, where 33 miners endured an astonishing 69 days trapped underground. The international cast, featuring actors like Antonio Banderas and Lou Diamond Phillips, might seem unlikely at first, but Riggen's directorial skill seamlessly blends them together. Despite initial concerns about unconventional casting, the ensemble works well.
%20Movie.jpg "los 33 pelicula (2015) Movie")
The movie opens with a slight hiccup during a party scene, introducing key characters. An elderly miner is retiring, another seeks an extra shift, and a young miner contemplates leaving the mining business due to impending fatherhood. These details add irony when a massive rock traps them deep underground with limited supplies. Riggen's direction ensures a smooth narrative flow, making the film accessible to all viewers.
After the mine disaster, the movie gets really intense. It switches between the underground world of the trapped miners and the chaos above ground. Down in the mine, the miners grapple with their dire situation, while above ground, the families of the miners demand answers and action. The Chilean government, represented by Rodrigo Santoro's earnest minister and Gabriel Byrne's skeptical mining engineer, gets involved. The odds of a successful rescue seem incredibly slim, and the interactions between the characters explain why.
As the story unfolds, we see how the chances of a rescue improve. The movie introduces various characters and a few story arcs, condensing a lot into its runtime. Director Patricia Riggen skillfully keeps the action clear and daring. There's a memorable scene where the miners, facing starvation, imagine a dinner that's both audacious and funny. Antonio Banderas and Lou Diamond Phillips shine in their roles, adding charisma and subtlety to the film.
Despite being a crowd-pleaser, the movie maintains its integrity as it reaches an uplifting yet slightly unsettling conclusion. The final moments introduce us to the real-life miners, following the custom of many films today. All in all, it's a pleasant surprise in more ways than one.