THE HEART OF THE SEA

Young author Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) comes to town seeking Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson) with an offer. Melville wants to hear the story about the Essex, a whaling ship that met with disaster because of a whale.

The story begins with Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth), a whaler looking forward to the command of his own ship. But when he is told that George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), from a prominent family would be taking the captains role, he is not happy. Chase is given a written promise to captain and with that he agrees to be first mate.

On board Chase prepares the crew with Matthew Joy (Cillian Murphy), Ben Lawrence (Joseph Mawle), Caleb Chappel (Paul Anderson), Richard Peterson (Osy Ikhile), William Bond (Gary Beadle), Cole (Jamie Sives) and the captain’s cousin Henry Coffin (Frank Dillane).

First time whaler young Tom (Tom Holland) is excited to be part of the crew and is quickly thrust into the whaling world. He is also watching the push and pull of power between Captain Pollard and first mate Chase. As the days pass and no whales are found, they come to a port where hearing the story of more whales than a crew could count.

They also hear the story of a gigantic whale that sunk their ship and killed the crew. That part of the story fell on deaf ears as the crew is reinvigorated and the hunt is on. Finding the whales the boats load up and head out for the hunt. As the first harpoon strikes, the monstrous whale attacks.

What happens next become a fight for survival for both man and monster!

Hemsworth as Chase is a man wanting to be captain of his own ship. Possessed when he doesn’t get the Essex, it becomes clear his hostility is aimed dead on for Captain Pollard. Hemsworth pulls off the role by being charming, strong and playing the role with conviction, but then again what could one expect from Thor (of course I had to throw that in!). I enjoyed his performance.

Walker as Pollard portrays a man who comes from wealth and prestige making no bones about it. Outwardly he hangs on to those two issues but his eyes tell a different story altogether. He doesn’t have the expertise that Chase has and in lies his insecurity.

Whishaw as Melville is also a man possessed. Wanting to get the story on paper, he is willing to put every last dime in the hands of Tom Nickerson to give him details. Whishaw captured my attention in the film CLOUD ATLAS and I have been a fan since.

Murphy as Joy doesn’t always agree with Chase but follows him to the end. Dillane as the Captain’s cousin would have been the first person I threw off the ship. Of course I was hoping it would be in shark infested waters!

Gleeson as the elder Tom Nickerson has the amazing ability to put so much into a character. As Tom it is clear there is more than just the story he tells but the torment it has caused him well into his later years. That’s what Gleeson brings to the table, the ability to draw me into the tale of course but the pain of it as well.

Now, Holland as the young Tom Nickerson has once again got me. The first time I saw this young actor in the 2012 film THE IMPOSSIBLE as the young boy Lucas, I knew then he was a force wrapped up in a very young man. Seeing him again this year in the fantastic mini-series WOLF HALL it was soon after I learned he was in this film. Now he has skyrocketed with five movies in post production including the role of Peter Parker. I certainly hope this young man doesn’t stay in the comic book-film universe for too long. In this film he is witness to what men will do to one another when pushed – even if it is by a whale!

Other cast include: Michelle Fairley as Mrs. Nickerson, Edward Ashley as Barzillai Ray, and Sam Keeley as Ramsdell.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give THE HEART OF THE SEA four tubs of popcorn out of five. I was taken into the story right away and perhaps it’s because I love a good sea faring tale. The action was so well done and the CGI was actually quite beautiful.

To be honest I really enjoyed the interaction between Melville and the elder Nickerson very much. The scene where they discuss their fears was so intense and emotional, extremely well done by Gleeson and Whishaw.

It’s a story of the evil men do to one another and there happens to be a whale out looking for a little justice of his own. The whale doesn’t take center stage as one would think but instead keeps the boats and men close. It isn’t so much what the large creature does to them as what they do to one another based on their own fears.

Also, there’s a lesson here – don’t throw sticks at large creatures!

In the end – it is the encounter that brought us Moby Dick!