An inspirational drama The Surface comes to Home Video with very good acting and a different kind of story. The movie takes a look at the lives of two men and how they have to come to terms with their past. Directed by Gil Cates Jr. with script written by Jeff Gendelman the central theme is about despair and overcoming difficult odds at sea. The DVD has special extras that are well worth the watch.
Haunted by the memory of his father’s death and the effects of Alzheimer’s on his mother at a nursing home Mitch (Sean Astin) decides to take his boat out on Lake Michigan. Despondent he becomes distracted by his worries and about 40 miles out he runs over a wing of an airplane damaging his boat. He sees a man holding on to the sinking fuselage and pulls him into the boat finding out that Kelly (Chris Mulkey) crashed while delivering a mysterious package. Stranded the two opposites talk about their lives and why they find themselves in this predicament.
The film goes on showing the two stranded men’s differences on how they managed their lives. Directed by Gill Cates Jr., he moves his film along turning one difficult situation into another on the sea. Lake Michigan is 80 miles wide and works as a third character in the film by trapping the two and putting their wills to the test. Filming on the water, especially the size of Lake Michigan, can be a difficult task, but Cates Jr. makes it look easy getting a big production feel out of a small budget.
The two main characters are excellent in their roles. Sean Astin known for his work in Lord of the Rings trilogy and the iconic Rudy gives a heartfelt performance as Mitch. His character has many personal problems with trying to come to grips with a horrible mistake, losing his job over it, visiting a mother who doesn’t know him anymore due to Alzheimer Disease and behind on the mortgage. He’s a lost soul looking for meaning to his life while seeking what he thinks is the only way out. I like Sean in this kind of role as he knows how to captivate and audience.
In the role of Kelly, consummate actor Chris Mulkey (Captain Phillips) does a terrific job of being the antagonist that finds himself trapped at sea. Kelly has a lot of problems at home and needs to make some quick money so he takes on a shady job of making a delivery for a shady client. Mulkey show his intense situation by taking it out on Mitch. Even if he survives the ordeal at sea, he’s still in danger of losing his life. But, his fate has come face to face with someone as desperate as himself and he panics. It’s a very good role for Mulkey and one that shows how much acting ability he really has.
The film has some very good Bonus features including:
“INLAND SEAS” a wonderful documentary about understanding and protecting the waters of the Great Lakes. It’s a must see.
“Composer Session Featurette” A conversation with composer Jeff Russo who composed the music for “Fargo”, “Power” and the recent “Tut” TV series. Here he talks with Director Gil Cates Jr. about his work on The Surface.
“Anytime you Like” a music video by Familiar Looking Strangers
“Audio Commentary” featuring Director Gil Cates Jr., writer Jeff Gendelman and actors Sean Astin and Chris Mulkey.
And several more
The Surface has not been rated by the MPAA but it does contain language, drinking and minor violence. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the film as it does have some scenes that may be a little harsh for young children.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A good inspirational film with adult messages. (B-)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Sean Astin, Chris Mulkey
Director: Gil Cates Jr.
MPAA Rating: Unrated, language, minor violence
Genre: Inspirational, Drama
Running Time: 1 hr. 26 min.
Original Theatrical Release Date: May 15, 2015
Video Release Date: September 1, 2015
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: 16×9 Televisions, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: eOne Entertainment
