A surprisingly different take on a cold war story.

Rating: 10/10 (28 April 2015)

I cannot express how refreshing it was to see a submarine story told from a Russian perspective. I nearly didn't watch it as I expected the usual American take, which never depicts the Russians in a balanced Light.
The story is a good one and it's well presented by a decent script. The acting is strong. If I'm honest it was the draw of Liam Neeson and Harrison Ford that persuaded me to watch the film in the first place. These actors in the main roles give worthy performances and do at least attempt the difficult accent. Their characters are multi layered and both of them surprise the viewer by being more complex than we might at first expect. The same is true of the strong ensemble cast. Kathryn Bigolo's direction is excellent and the tension builds at just the right pace, adding to the already intense situation of the claustrophobic setting of the submarine. I even found myself holding my breath at times. I also loved the soundtrack, beautiful, atmospheric and haunting, it complemented the scenes it was used in perfectly. I thoroughly recommend this film. Disregard the moaning Minnie's with their lust for explosive action and give the more subtle action of this praiseworthy film a chance.