The Abyss (1989) Dir: James Cameron
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This may come as a surprise to some, but I have very mixed feelings about James Cameron's films. I love some of his films, but feel entirely apathetic towards others - I'm looking at you, Avatar. This is another highly rated Cameron adventure, although it is also one of his lesser spoken about ones too, so I wasn't sure what to expect.
As is usually the case with Cameron's films, the scale and vision of this was impressive. This was reflected in some immense cinematography and imagery, despite the claustrophobic setting. The green screen may have become rather dated, but I still appreciated the practical effects used.
Now, I did have a number of issues with the film, starting with just how unrealistic it was. I understand it's a sci-fi film, but when I'm watching people swimming in seawater which would be absolutely freezing in real life, for example, I struggle to suspend my disbelief. And that's without talking about the impact that water pressure would've had.
My biggest irk, however, was with the film's dialogue. It was full of lazy insults and unashamed misogyny. Basically all the men in the film are misogynistic towards the female characters, especially the main one. It has not aged well at all, and it was just uncomfortable to watch.
I think that the narrative had some fascinating elements to it, especially the more sci-fi aspects. It felt dreamlike, in many respects. I think the story suffered from monotonous pacing, at points, with some rather longwinded sequences, including what is the longest resuscitation scene I've ever watched - it was never-ending.
Ed Harris was pretty unlikeable at first, although this was partially by design. His acting improved dramatically in the second half of the film. Ultimately, I'd say that I enjoyed his performance, particularly thanks to his final few scenes, which were excellently acted.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio gave what was, to me at least, the best performance in the film. She was the most interesting person on-screen every time she appeared, and I thought she was also the most consistent. I could happily have bought her as the main protagonist, to be perfectly honest.
Michael Biehn was the most notable member of the supporting cast. His role in the middle portion of the film was particularly interesting, and his acting during those scenes was excellent. I could happily have watched even more scenes with him in, I think it would only have been a good thing.
There weren't too many other standouts from the supporting cast, however, those that I still felt were worth mentioning for their roles were the likes of Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd and Kimberly Scott.
Overall, this was an interesting film to watch, but I can't say I was blown away by it. I liked elements of it a lot, but there were also some aspects that definitely dragged it down in my estimations. I'd like to watch the Special Edition - I think, based on what I have read, I'd prefer it.
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