Diva Del Mar Reviews: The Wave
Disaster movies command an enormous following as an action genre that expands to all ages and demographics. As an species, we are drawn to harrowing tales of survival where entire populations are threatened and a handful of lucky individuals must rely on training, physical prowess, and common sense to make it out alive. We love to watch these over-the-top flicks, even when, as we walk into the theater, we already know the 80% of the storyline from the trailers and from previous disaster movies. It was in a similar vein that I found myself seated for The Wave, a new Norwegian film by Roar Uthraug.
This is a disaster film in the purest sense. Kristian, a geologist and his family live in a small tourist town nestled against a beautiful fjord banked by steep mountains. Kristian’s job consists of monitoring a particular crack on a nearby mountainside that has the potential to break open and trigger a crazy huge rockslide. This rockslide would crash into the water and send a tsunami raging towards the small town. He’s part of an early detection team, consisting of a handful of fellow geologists, and as the movie begins, we learn that Kristian is leaving the team for a better opportunity in a bigger city. And, of course, on his very last day, some screwy measurements start to crop up on the monitoring systems. Kristian doesn’t like what he sees, but of course, his team supervisor dismisses it as nothing, because, well, that’s what happens in every disaster movie ever made.
The movie is possibly one of the most predictable films I’ve seen in quite a while as it clings tenaciously to the well-trodden formula of its genre. There are tenuous moments where the shear familiarity with a sequence of plot development threatens to pull you out of the story. And yet, the pure commitment and shear convictions of the filmmakers to stay true to the seriousness of the story wins you over in the end. They put a lot of heart into the drama and though it gets a bit over-the-top at times, you forgive it instantly because in the end, the movie is solid. I also really admire that it doesn’t cop out with any meta moments. It stays true to its tone from the first moment and rightly so, a huge tsunami is crashing into a village of innocent people, remember?
The acting is great, and although I am watching the movie in a foreign language, the writing feels smooth and realistic. Each actor delivers his or her lines with conviction even with the clichés that are surely abound.
This is not a movie for those who crave originality, those folks will surely be disappointed. However, if you seek a dependable, tense, and well-executed disaster drama, you’ll be pleased with The Wave.
Thanks for reading!
Diva Del Mar
