Movie Review: Submergence

I think the first Vim Wenders movie I saw was City of Angles, or the Buena Vista Social Club, both have stayed with me for a long time, so natualy I was interested to see what Submergence would reveal. I can report that the latest offering continues the mold of delivering something different, this time a love story with an ending, played exquisitely by James McAvoy, that has been added to my bank of memorable romantic endings.

Thanks to Submergence and Madman

Viewers are quickly drawn into the extraordinary and challenging lives of both characters. James (James McAvoy) is a British agent hiding out under the guise of as a water engineer. Danny (Alicia Vikander) is a bio-mathematician working on a deep-sea diving project exploring the origin of life, with a view to helping save the world. Both just happen to be on a remote resort in Normandy. That was lucky.

Both have time on their hands as they wait for their missions to start. What begins as a quick romance between two closed off people to cut the boredom instantly develops into something much more intense.  But then their missions get the green light. What will these cut off souls do?

Thanks to Submergence sarl

James takes off first. His assignment sees him enter Somalia where a risk proves to be a very wrong one. Danny meanwhile sets off on a perilous quest to dive to the bottom of the ocean. Both characters find themselves alone with the memory of their intense romance.

Submergence begins like a quick romance, but gives way to a deliberately slow exploration of how life decisions can take you in the wrong direction.  The characters yearn to return to each other from the depths they have created for themselves.

Sadly I can’t say much more without giving away the ending. What I can say is:

1. The movie is visually stunning, the atmospherically intense;
2. The environmental angle while front and centre is not rammed down your throat which is a change;
3. Never has the need for a simple phonecall been more important;
4. McAvoy continues to impress.

For more information go to Luna Cinemas.