It's got Jean Reno, what more reason do you need?

Rating: 6/10 (15 March 2004)

The Big Blue started out to be a fine film. Two childhood friends, Enzo and Jacques, test their strengths against the deep blue sea. Departing ways when they were younger Enzo, the seventeen time world record holder, summons his long lost friend, Jacques, to compete with him in the upcoming championships. Aside from the story of competitive passions and soul searching, you have the love story between Insurance Agent Joanna and Jacques, who she loves, but just can't seem to understand his level of appreciate for deep sea diving. Not only that, Enzo and Jacques are really two different type of divers. Enzo is a flamboyant competitive spirit, while Jacques isn't really doing it to break records or rack up points. He's a natural for diving simply because he finds greater importance in it. And cockiness, as you may know, always leads to some kind of downfall.
It started a great film that is, until they paint Jacques to be some sort of dolphin whisperer. No longer does being in the water and competing conjure up memories of the death of his father, but now he finds it to be a way of joining a bunch of dolphins, that which he refers to as his family. Even more frustrating is Jacque's unresponsive relationship to Joanna, which starts out sweet, but eventually becomes a question of, what is Joanna going to do with this guy?
The photography is beautiful, and really something to see and something to learn if you don't particularly know much about the "sport" or how it operates. Plus, the European scenery is gorgeous. But, above anything else, this is a fine display of the great charm that Reno adds to all of his characters. It's a lot of fun to watch. But, be warned, it is also a sad story.