Mucking With Movies: ‘Last Breath’ 

The indomitable human spirit: I love the “true story” flicks, where incredible people do extraordinary things. They’re always going to make me tear up a little. All that subjectivity aside though, “Last Breath” really is an enjoyable thriller.

We are treated to learn about the real-life story of Chris Lemons (Finn Cole) being stranded hundreds of feet down at the ocean’s bottom for nearly an hour. It is deeply inspiring, as an incredibly proficient ship crew comes together to save one of their own. It could have floated on the premise alone, but Alex Parkinson directs well enough that “Last Breath” rises out of the potential generic ensnaring. 

A director’s fate is usually in the hands of their actors, but director Alex Parkinson survives some subpar performances. Mostly known and celebrated for documentaries, I think a little bit of slack can be cut for him. Working with an actor through a feature-length for the first time? Tough. AND you gotta worry about shooting narrative underwater. Next time you run into Steven Spielberg, ask him how much fun it is to work with water. Kevin Costner would love to talk to you about it, too. It’s not a very cooperative collaborator, and yet Parkinson is able to pull gorgeous shots from the ocean’s depths — not just terrific shots but a variety of beauty. Cameras digitally attached to the submarine’s bottom — and their auxiliary drone mini-subs — shoot black-and-white, security-like footage that splices in nicely with the cinematic camera and a first-person GoPro perspective. 

The ocean terrifies me. I got some of that thalassophobia, so when the film cuts to a wide, I gasp a little. The darkness surrounding Lemons on the ocean floor is terrifyingly isolating. Feeling pulled deep inside the film, I shivered in my seat. My nightmares could not have framed the scene any better. Underwater Director of Photography Ian Seabrook brilliantly shoots the diving bell that Lemons and diving partner David Yuasa (Simon Liu) are brought down in, putting enough illumination on its outside that you can cleanly see the pair drift off from safety. It is clear enough to see the proficiency in their movements, as they float off to complete their mission and fix the gas pipeline so that their families’ homes in Scotland can have heat this winter. But, as their tether to the ship gets further pushed out, the darkness envelopes them. The mise-en-scene gets grainer, with dust from the seabed infiltrating the lens. Before we even see Lemons plunged to the bottom, we feel the impending desolation. Then, when that cord finally snaps, Parkinson basks the audience in silence. It’s the type of quietness that can only be achieved in space, deep water, and art. It delivers 5 seconds of all-enveloping deafness, a bold move in any film. It makes you say goodbye to Lemons, even though you have a good idea on how this is all going to end. 

Despite those performances, the film is at its best when nobody is talking — when the action and suspense are being centered on. Cole, in the principal roles, carries no charisma and even less likability. All of the heavy lifting to make us cheer for his life is done by the quest for salvation. Maybe some more time in the opening act would have enabled him to build out his character more. The call to action does come rapidly so that we meet Lemons’ fiancee for about 5 minutes, before he’s plunged underwater. The captains and officers on the deck also could have benefited from some more time because when they are put to task, we have no idea who they are, and we really don’t care. 

Woody Harrelson pops in here, as well, playing the support man for the deep dive but never adds anything to his role as the aging professional. It’s not like he doesn’t get his shot; he is handed a nice monologue about life and the toll of risking your mortality for your profession and how saving Lemons is the most important thing he has done in his life. It falls flat though, the camera pressing in on him to reveal no real pain in Harrelson’s face and no layers in his voice, as he confesses his fear of going home without his friend. 

“Last Breath” is worth seeing for the sake of witnessing a potentially great director make his debut and if you need a reminder about what human beings are capable of. 

Critic score: 7 out of 10

Jack Simon is a mogul coach and writer/director who enjoys eating food he can’t afford, traveling to places out of his budget, and creating art about skiing, eating, and traveling while broke. Check out his website jacksimonmakes.com to see his Jack’s Jitney travelogue series. You can email him at jackdocsimon@gmail.com for inquiries of any type.