THE WAVE
(directed by Roar Uthaug, 2015)
**** (out of 5)
.
> Norwegian director Roar Uthaug delivers exactly what I want from this kind of thriller: seat-squirming, nail-biting, face-flushing tension and nearly unbearable suspense that almost drives one to the fast-forward button for relief.
. No wonder Hollywood chose him to helm the upcoming TOMB RAIDER reboot.
. THE WAVE is a grand-scale disaster film about one of the many impossibly scenic mountain villages along the fjords of Norway that appear unimaginably tranquil, but face the threat of devastating tidal waves in the event of a major rockslide on the steep surrounding cliffs. There are many spots where the rockface is fissuring and could give way at any time, giving very scant warning to denizens of low lying areas to evacuate to higher ground.
. The story revolves around a geologist and his family, just on the verge of moving away when the rackface he monitored for years begins to show signs of instability… Will it go? Hell yeah, it will go, or Mr. Uthaug wouldn’t have much of a movie! The question is: who will survive and who will not? There’s plenty of heroism to go around, from small acts- like loaning a cellphone to a stranger when it is your only lifeline, to stunning acts of heroic self-sacrifice.
– The actors in the leads are really good, the production values are really high, and despite some of the cursory cliches of the exposition, when it kicks into gear, THE WAVE kicks ass!
*
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