2000 Dir: Wolfgang Petersen 130 mins
This is a film, based on a true story that sits in a certain time spot. People with no interest in the sea went to see this film in droves partly because it has a dramatic understory of struggling sword-fishermen and the perils they face on land and sea but mostly because the CGI, then in its infancy, had at the time not been bettered. The freak wave sequence (looking, to our eyes 18 years later as rather clunky) was a revelation back in 2000 and is one of the most iconic bits of cinematography put to modern film. The story revolves around Skipper George Clooney and his crew including Mark Wahlberg, John C Reilly and William Fichtner as they head out of their normal fishing grounds for a much needed large catch. This they manage to do, but their ice machine breaks meaning they had to head straight for home with their precious cargo before it spoiled. Ignoring the very heavy weather advice from other ships in the area they head into the culmination of two powerful weather fronts and a hurricane.
Based on the best-selling book of the same name by Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm went on to be nominated for 2 Academy Awards. GV
Trailer: