Since the Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws (1975) the movie industry did not have a thriller film involving shark able to make the viewer feel scared and also cheer to the protagonist so intensely. Directed by the Spanish Jaume Collet-Serra (known for Orphan - 2009 and Unknown - 2011) the feature-film The Shallows tells the story of Nancy (played by Blake Lively, known for The Age of Adaline - 2015), who goes surfing alone on a paradisiac and deserted beach in Mexico, where her mother visited decades ago. After spending much of the day surfing she is attacked by a great white shark, getting trapped 180 meters from the beach. Needing to race against time and fight for her life, the battle for survival requires from Nancy all her skill, cleverness and fortitude.
There are several reports of shark attack around the world, which adds even more drama to the story told. A recent case that had worldwide impact occurred on September 19, 2015, during the final heat of the World Surfing Circuit in Jeffreys Bays in South Africa. The three-time world champion Mick Fanning was surprised by a shark attack and escaped with a severed leash on his surfboard. Fortunately the episode had a happy ending and Fanning was unhurt, as it can be seen in the images recorded on the day.
Esthetically The Shallows is impeccable. The site chosen for filming is paradisiac and the direction of photography of Flavio Martínez Labiano (also worked in Unknown - 2011) is very beautiful. The scenes both inside and outside of the water and the aerial and water camera shots have created an amazing setting, bringing the viewer into the plot. The use of non-professional cameras and surf scenes manage to convey truthfulness to the narrative. The direction of Jaume is attractive, engaging and agile, exploiting well the open shots to contrast the man's relationship with nature. Here we point out a visual device that was very well used in the movie: the option to put text messages, Instagram photos and video conversations on the screen.
The performance of Blake Lively in the lead role is efficient, managing to hold a difficult role in a film centered on the protagonist. The soundtrack has no exaggerations, conveying the necessary tension that the story needs. A negative point that weighted down the final result of the movie was the overuse of clichés. The script and direction have sinned by conventional solutions and could have innovated more. Still, The Shallows holds the attention and interest of the viewer, who will be tense and attentive to every detail of the story, waiting for the outcome of the dynamic between the prey and the predator.
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