The Abyss
“LOVE YOU WIFE”
<PERSON> 2001: A Sea Odyssey.
This is something of a mess; you can tell <PERSON>’s trying to do a Hawksian ensemble thing here, and I appreciate the attempt, but the schlocky 80s action movie characterizations leave the supporting characters feeling closer to a more forgettable version of the Alien crew than, say, the Only Angels Have Wings gang. The central (nakedly autobiographical) divorce melodrama between <PERSON> and <PERSON>, however, really sings, and the staggering level of verisimilitude found in the insanely-staged underwater sequences provides some pretty overwhelming spectacle.
I found my attention starting to lag at about the 90-minute mark, as <PERSON> fairly rote villain begins to take on a more significant role, and the proceedings started to feel a bit conventional to these eyes. Imagine my surprise when I found my hair blown back by the onslaught of surrealistic imagery and downright emotional terrorism <PERSON> serves up in the final hour — I’ve read some reviews that compare this to Interstellar, and while it does contain a similarly loopy blend of bleeding-heart sentimentality and abstract, wildly ambitious sci-fi, I still found myself thoroughly moved. A truly singular cinematic experience — see the 3-hour director’s cut. 378