u-571 (2000)

Rating: 4/10 (15 June 2011)

"Everything is in German!" (No sh*t! Really?)
This is the story of how the Americans captured the Enigma code machine in World War II. And since the real Enigma was captured by the British, actually, we know that the story is a work of fiction.
The movie starts on a German U-Boat somewhere in the Atlantic, attacking and being attacked in it's turn. It is a world of fish eat fish out here and the Germans have the upper hand. But when the U-Boat is crippled, the Americans see an opportunity to board it and get the Enigma.
The directing is not that great. It is as if the director tried to recreate the scenes from "The Hunt for Red October" in a 2 by 4 cabin. It was ridiculous to watch a whole bunch of senior officers prancing around in a tiny cabin, inches from each other, and the pendulum mounted camera didn't help things, either.
Some complain about the inaccuracy of the story, but I complain about the quality of the story. Tarantino changed history too, on occasion, but at least he did it in style. This movie looks like it was filmed in a bathtub and the action has all the credibility of a bed time story.
The actors have not much to do except act scared, stiff or worried (looking at the walls, if possible). The music is terrible and the camera work is boring. In fact the whole movie is boring and a bit too long, just under two hours.
U-571. If you want to see a underwater movie try "Das Boot" or "The Hunt for Red October". Much better. 4/10.