Submergence (2018)

Admirable film.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

"Submergence" is a new German/American/French/Spanish movie that premiered about a year ago already at several film festivals. The star is perhaps the director here as we have multiple Oscar nominee Wim Wenders in charge, but like wih some other of his recent non-documentary films, the reception was pretty lukewarm gently speaking. Anyway, it runs for slightly under 2 hours and stars Oscar winner Alicia Vikander next to James McAvoy with both of them being lead, but maybe the latter a bit more if we take a closer look at the screen time I guess. It is the story of a couple falling in love with each other, but their professions have them seperate for a while, even if plans to see each other again are very present. It's not a split-up, but just everybody doing their thing for a little while. In terms of the woman that means that she goes deep down to the sea to pursue her career as a scientist under really dangerous circumstances in areas that may have never see humans before. And in terms of the male protagonist, he has an important task to fulfill deep down at enemy lines in Africa where he ends up being taken hostage by some truly dangerous Islamic terrorists. A great deal of the movie is all about who will live and who will die and it is a question mark that is above everything really, not just for McAvoy's character, but for Vikander's as well when we remember her story early on about how in case of technical failure she is lost down there dying from lack of oxygene with nobody able to help her. Okay well, the reference that there simply is no second submarine like this to save her in such a scenario is a bit pseudo dramatoc perhaps. But still, it was an interesting idea that stayed in my mind throughout the entire film. And for her male counterpart: Well there is really constant danger that threatens his life and even at the very end it is not clear if he is gonna live or die. But I quite liked the moment we hear him scream in the water and when we see her at the exact same being so quiet, so silent inside the submarine looking outside the window and witnessing all the miracles deep down there around her. The scene with the two together are frequent early on, but then it really felt to me like two movie about ttwo characters in one. The connection with these scenes between the two again as well as the two making brief romantic references about each other feel a bit for the sake of it, so in terms of this being a romantic movie or a film that focuses on a love story too I think they could have done better. I have not read the book, so I cannot say if the problem is there already or in the screenplay (by the way Wenders is not the writer this time). The two actors did a pretty good job I guess and the film's flaws have nothing to do with their performances. I was lucky enough to watch this film here in Berlin at the Kino International with Wenders present and it was so nice to see him in person and talk a bit about the production after the credits rolled in. You learn a lot of interesting stuff from premieres like these, a lot more than the fact that it was from Wenders' perhaps most prolific year and that production took no less than 4 years. Also nice to see people like Koch and Schlöndorff in the audience for once. Anyway, back to the movie. With Wenders in charge, of course, there are always many beautiful shots and moments here and this film is obviously no exception. So if the story does not catch and keep your attention (like it seems the case with many critics), then maybe the visual side can and I am not just talking about the gorgeous Alicia Vikander here. I think McAvoy isn't too shabby either. But yeah, I preferred this movie for sure over Wenders' recent Pope Francis documentary and seems I am clearly in the minority with this perception. So "Submergence" gets a thumbs-up from me, even if the plots on environment and romance are not too convincing, the terrorism story line was a bit better. Go see this film. Recommended.

Our world is firstly about power, it's only secondly about education.A calm movie from time to time is something I welcome. Not again such a flashy, action-packed hero film where you'll get nervous because the scenes follow each other in a rapid pace and stroboscopic effects get you a cutting headache. "Submergence" undoubtedly belongs to the first category. So, no nauseating headache. No disorientation feeling. You will certainly not experience that with this ultra slow film. The only thing that made me nervous was the forth and back jumping between the stories of the two protagonists Danielle Flinders (Alicia Vikander) and James More (James McAvoy).James is the kind of guy who knows something about every subject. A whiskey connoisseur, people connoisseur (one look and he knows that the bartender was an ex-rugby player) and also a literary man. He's such a man who'll sweep any woman off her feet. And not only because of his good looks but also because of his engaging and charming behavior. And mainly because he has mastered the art of listening. James works in Nairobi where he consults on water projects. In reality, he works for the British Secret Service. Well, I guess he does, judging by the mysterious briefing he got while walking around in an art museum. And also the situation he's in afterward, has nothing to do with water sources.Danielle is a bio-mathematician (and not an oceanographer as James calls it) and is looking for proof that life exists in the darkest depths of the ocean. A pioneering (and Nobel Prize-worthy) research that can result in eternal fame. So expect a lot of incomprehensible, scientific gibberish. Like this for example: "Some of the most common pathways of energy production in microorganisms, who live along the hydrothermal vents, are oxidation or reduction of sulfur compounds. The most common electron donor along the vents is hydrogen sulfide, making oxidation of sulfur-containing compounds the base of the food web in this environment." Not exactly fodder for an average conversation. Danielle is such a typical female nerd whose work determines and directs her entire life.In fact, they are two realists whose profession plays a central role and who probably don't have the time or desire to make an eternal bond with someone of the opposite sex. Until they happen to meet on a Norman beach."Submergence" is not exactly an exciting movie. It all feels rather poetic. Even the title is an abstraction of the different facets of the film. The sudden blazing love. The predicament that James finds himself in Somalia. And the claustrophobic situation in a (Yes it's yellow) submarine for Danielle. And the whole film gently bounces back and forth between all these storylines. To be honest, I found the romantic part the most impressive. It was a pleasure to watch how these two lovebirds explore and discover each other in one long passionate mating dance. Every time the film returned to this part, it became fascinating. I looked at the other two parts with a kind of indifference. Still weird that Alicia Vikander seemed too young to me in the role of Lara Croft in "Tomb Raider", while in this film I didn't have that feeling. I do understand the metaphors used in this film. But to be honest, I think it was neither fish nor fowl (no pun intended). In the end, I thought the storyline in this potpourri of romance and drama was pretty thin-skinned.

Enjoyable scenery, conversation, quite slow, not for the impatient.

A beautiful love story. A provocative thriller. An educational lesson in science. A political message about terrorism. The poetry of John Donne. The startling imagery of lightness and darkness.The capsules above are what the filmmakers of "Submergence" wanted to blend as they combined a scientific exploration of the lower depths of the ocean with a political thriller that addressed the prevention of the war on terror, with two star-crossed lovers caught in the middle.In the DVD bonus track, the film artists identified the three main strands of their film as "science, belief, and love." From the stunning ocean cliffs of Normandy to the rugged, sandy beaches of Somalia, the film wanted to be adventuresome and daring. Unfortunately, it was a crashing bore!The principal relationship of Professor Danny Flinders (the bio-mathematician) and James More (the counter-terrorism operative) begins in dishonesty. James never reveals to Danny the truth about his dangerous profession or upcoming mission. Details like that do not seem to matter to director Wim Wenders, who has his eye on the grander and more abstract values of an art film exploring such themes as "the origin of life."The film was sluggish in the pacing and thin on action, especially the scenes in which More is held hostage and tortured by the jihadists. The pretentious nature of the film was apparent in such high-brow scientific terms as hadopalagic (deriving from the Greek term for the underworld, Hades) that were intended to hook audiences with an otherworldly experience at the bottom of the Atlantic. Unfortunately, "Submergence" was a journey into a never-ending heart of darkness that left the audience numb and depressed.