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★★★ Stars
Directed by: #JulioQuintana
Written by: #JulioQuintana, #ChrisDowling
“To save their cash-strapped orphanage, a guardian and his kids partner with a washed-up boat captain for a chance to win a lucrative fishing competition.”
Written by Chris Dowling and Julio Quintana, Blue Miracle presents a story that film watchers have seen a thousand times before: the type of ‘underdog’ plot basis that can be hard to navigate due to the amount of films made under the heading. However, Blue Miracle is one that has the ability to stand out a little more in comparison to others as it is based on a true story, fuelling the sense of inspiration and motivation that audiences feel when immersed in a film of this nature.
Blue Miracle’s screenplay is extremely well written and held together quite strongly despite the somewhat imitative approach. I don’t intend that phrase to be taken in a negative way either; the predictability of the story that viewers are following is rather comfortable here. It doesn’t slip into a boring place nor does it reach original heights – it’s simply just as it is and it’s good hanging in the balance as such. It’s a warm drama to plunge yourself into with each section throughout its duration falling into its rightful place, harmoniously joining together.
There is little focus on different production elements which brought me disappointment to see because, with a film that is set next to the sea/on the sea, there is so much to work with in terms of visual enticement. There are many moments where the camerawork is wonderful and truly takes you on the journey that the characters are involved with but, for the most part, there is a lot of missed opportunities. The existing vibrancy of colour where blues and greens pull in the focus of the viewer is beautiful, however the use of more experimental techniques in regards to cinematography could give extra enchantment to Blue Miracle. Especially with the screenplay laid out in easily anticipated ways, other aspects of production taking an exploratory shape would add eagerness to the success of the story.
The characters are nicely developed, mainly thanks to the established acting performances seen throughout the film. In particular, Dennis Quaid fits his character’s essence and stance within the story perfectly. I’m not surprised to see that many other viewers have mentioned that this might be one of their favourite performances from him. Quaid holds an admirable approach to his character; the way he presents himself onscreen from the beginning brings characterisation by itself which is always an astonishing feat in cinema. His tone of voice and wide understanding of the character results in an immersive performance. Personally, and rather sadly, the overall experience felt from the characters as they travel together just wasn’t interesting enough to really grasp and hold my attention. I don’t think that this is down to acting or how the cast approaches their roles, I think that it is due to the fact that there is little time for the plot itself to let personalisation of the characters and their place in the story blossom and thrive.
Blue Miracle is definitely a good piece of film – despite any factors that I’ve negatively commented on, there isn’t actually any features that have something overly ‘wrong’ with them or feel out of place. It is worth reading about the true story that is seated behind the inspiration for the film to feel the full impact that the story intended to have on audiences as well. In its entirety, it’s an easy and enjoyable watch with a familiar perspective.
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