Review of U-571 (2000) by Ben L — 21 Mar 2012

I've read a lot of reviews complaining about how far removed this movie is from reality. Sadly people's expectations were apparently raised because the movie is based on a real historic time period, even if the characters and story are all made up. However if you can completely release any hope that this movie is some kind of history piece, it is actually a great little popcorn action flick.

The characters are easy to sympathize with as they face life and death situations. McConaughey struggles to be convincing as a naval officer early in the film, but when his character amps up his competency so does Matthew. Harvey Keitel is excellent as the experienced old guy and McConaughey's conscience. But I think it's all the less famous actors on the boat that sell all those intense moments and make it feel real.

I've always been a big fan of submarine movies, and this one does an admirable job of making the boats feel claustrophobic. The story is what carries this movie. While it is false and extremely far fetched, it has all the right dramatic moments you would expect. The downside is simply the familiarity of it all. While certain aspects are unique, there are several moments where you can find yourself saying "I've seen that before." They fall into a lot of cliches and, while I think they still maintained the quality of U-571, they didn't quite manage to elevate that quality to the level of greatness.