The Snapshot: Driven by the true story inspiration, Last Breath is a fascinating film that’s more intriguing and emotionally driven than purely entertaining.
Last Breath
7 out of 10
PG, 1hr 33mins. Biography Thriller.
Directed by Alex Parkinson.
Starring Finn Cole, Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Mark Bonnar, Cliff Curtis and Bobby Rainsbury.
Now Playing at 5 Drive-In, Cineplex Winston Churchill & VIP and Cineplex Oakville & VIP.
How deep can a Hollywood remake of a true story really go? That’s the mission director Alex Parkinson and his team are on in recreating the true story of Last Breath, about deep-sea divers on a rescue mission for one of their own.
That baseline story, however, was the mission of real divers Chris Lemons (Finn Cole), Duncan Allcock (Woody Harrelson) and David Yuasa (Toronto’s Sims Liu, best known for Marvel’s Shang-Chi and CBC’s Kim’s Convenience.)
Each of these three men anchor the time-sensitive rescue at the story’s centre, and even if their characters fit the stereotypes of a workplace conflict (like the expert his last mission training the new up and comers), all three stars play the crew with refined realism and nuance.
For Canadian film fans, Liu plays a wildly different kind of character in David, who’s far more resolved and firm. It’s a great part and departure for him.
Read more here: Shang-Chi makes a modern legend
Parkinson actually first told this same story in a 2019 documentary film (which he also directed), and this Hollywood remake is his dramatic debut.
While the documentary is more compelling because of the real footage and people who lived through the mission, the film maintains an impressive degree of accuracy in its script and production.
This new biographical thriller comes from Focus Features, and maintains the tone of history drama that rarely gets seen on big screens anymore. Nowadays, a greater percentage of films produced in this genre are often siphoned to premiere on streaming services instead.
But there’s a great service in seeing the ominous black void of the northern Atlantic ocean in theatres. The peril is more tangible and the realism is heightened with an environmental sense of scale that can’t be appreciated on a living room TV.
Tonally speaking, the film focuses more on the details of the plot as opposed to dramatizing them. That means while the subject and events are deeply interesting to watch, the moments of human drama feel a bit forced instead of carefully integrated into the narrative.
With this story yearning to be an inspiring drama, however, that’s maybe to be expected, especially from a first time narrative director. The screenplay is solid enough, which is a pleasant surprise given how easily it could’ve been waterlogged.
This is a solid motion picture telling a genuinely unique story. It’s brief, it’s tight, and the emotions are surface level. But the insights into the world of professional diving are solidly compelling, and enough of a reason to hold your last breath watching the rescue mission unfold.
