Claustrophobic submarine thriller is a real treat

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2016)

U-571 garnered a lot of negative publicity on first release, due to the fact that it's completely historically inaccurate – the Brits were the ones who captured the first Enigma machine, not the Yanks. Still, inaccuracies aside – and let's face it, a LOT of Hollywood films are far from the truth – it's best to remember that this is a movie, nothing more, nothing less, designed to entertain and that's it. And I'm pleased to say that it's VERY entertaining.
Submarine thrillers have been fairly rare over the last couple of decades; everyone remembers DAS BOOT, the classic German miniseries, but there are no films so to speak of other than THE HUNT FOR RED October and CRIMSON TIDE. U-571 seeks to re-address that, presenting a taut thriller that mainly takes place in a single location. The good news is that Jonathan Mostow is the director, and he wrings every ounce of suspense, tension, and atmosphere from his confined setting. Mostow is that rare beast – a director who manages to turn even lacklustre scripts into entertaining movies; see TERMINATOR 3 for a case in point. His earlier BREAKDOWN, a fantastic thriller with Kurt Russell, remains a favourite and U-571 is just as entertaining as that movie.
Being a Hollywood movie, there are the requisite number of clichés and outlandish situations, but the premise seems fresh and the film is bolstered by some brilliant action scenes that make great use of CGI effects for a change. The cast have no choice but to give it their all; this is an ensemble outing and there's no hiding from the camera. Harvey Keitel is fine as the elder statesman, letting his younger co-stars do the hard work; Matthew McConaughey, an actor I usually dislike, is actually very good as the wannabe-captain. Elsewhere, the well-established likes of Bill Paxton and Elias Koteas fill out character roles, and there are two unusual casting choices: a bit part for cheeky chappy Robin Askwith, best known for his performances in '70s comedies like CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER, and a supporting role for musician Jon Bon Jovi, who is actually pretty decent. This is a frequently edge-of-your-seat film that packs in some great twists. After the initial set-up it keeps pounding away until the ending, and I enjoyed every minute; a minor classic for sure that just looks better and better as the years pass.