An Imperfect Storm

Rating: 7/10 (5 February 2016)

A cargo ship splits in two during a fierce North Atlantic storm, and the surviving crew clings to hope aboard the floating half, while a small Coast Guard boat sails from Cape Cod on a rescue mission. Based on a true event that took place in the early 1950's, "The Finest Hours" is at its best when the focus is at sea. However, viewers may initially think they wandered into the wrong theater; the first twenty minutes detail a sappy cute guy meets cute girl for a date; cute girl asks cute guy to marry her; cute girl frets about cute guy in danger. The shallow unconvincing scenes on dry land are set in a faux-1950's and should have been left on the cutting room floor, because this lame date-film wannabe makes "The Perfect Storm" look like a masterpiece.
Chris Pine as the young rescuer, Bernie Webber, finds that navigating a small boat in a storm takes more skill and daring than piloting the Starship Enterprise. However, Pine's performance at sea is far more convincing than his underplayed romantic acting opposite Holliday Grainger, who plays his girlfriend. Grainger plays Miriam, the stereotypical 1950's woman; always immaculately made-up and coiffed in designer dresses, even during raging snow storms. Neither rain, nor snow, nor blistering wind can muss her well permed 'doo nor mar her porcelain make-up. The Miriam character is annoying throughout, and her repeated order to the Coast Guard commander, played by Eric Bana, to call back her boyfriend from danger sounds like the whine of a spoiled petulant teeny-bopper. Led by Casey Affleck, the crew aboard the sinking ship fare better than Pine and Grainger, although some appear too casual in the face of mortal danger.
The scenes of the storm and the tossing cargo ship are often exciting as are those that depict the tiny rescue boat facing 70-foot waves. In contrast, the snow storm ashore looks more like a Norman Rockwell Christmas card than a threat. Perhaps "The Finest Hours" needed an experienced action director, a writer who could pen some decent dialog, and an editor to excise extraneous romantic scenes that add nothing to the action. The ingredients for a thrilling true-life rescue film were there, but some genius decided the studio needed a feel-good date film. "The Finest Hours" should find its audience on DVD, where viewers can fast forward through the romantic drivel and enjoy the exciting sea rescue.