Adrift, Movie Review

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Based on an extraordinary true tale from the 1980’s, Adrift is no calming cruise. From the opening scene, it’s clear the damage is done. There’s only the Pacific Ocean as far as the eye can see. With no hope of rescue, Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) strives to survive as she puts the pieces of the boat back together while keeping her boyfriend Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) bandaged and awake. But director Baltasar Kormákur (Everest) doesn’t just have us witness their trying times. Weathering the storm, he steers back-and-forth from a hell-bent drama to a blossoming love story, all taking place in a short span of five months.

Woodley is astounding as Tami, a gypsy girl who is in no hurry of going back home. She has no long-term plans, just going where the wind takes her. And while working on a boat dock in Tahiti, she soon gets swept up in the sea of charm and handsomeness of Richard. If you’ve seen Me Without You, you already know Claflin reeks of romance, and it stinks to high heaven here.

In no time, these two love birds are ready to fly away and see the world. It’s when they set sail that their lives rapidly change forever by embarking on a collision course with one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to ever hit. Seeing that destruction on screen is dazzling just as much as it is devastating. With broken ribs and a rotting leg, Claflin’s Richard is more or less there for moral support. So it’s Woodley’s phenomenal portrayal and physicality that is the compass to this seafaring venture, completely convincing at being a spontaneous sailor loving life while falling in love. As Tami, she’s a true testament of being capable of anything when the human spirit is on the verge of being broken.

Adrift is at its best when we stay out on the water. Kormákur has the best of intentions letting the audience in on Tami and Robert’s instant attraction and the adorable affection that grows between them. These are real people that we want to care about. But in Hollywood, the difficulty with floating from sappy to suspense and repeat is real. It’s a momentum killer. There’s no problem in getting your attention at the start, but there’s fatigue in keeping it from sinking.

And why does this unimaginable journey feel so normal? The fact is nothing will be as exciting as the real thing. Nonetheless, when the waves come crashing down, this shipwreck is about as close as you will ever want to be. Plus, sardines look disgusting. I would never make it.

“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

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