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While Away "The Hours"

Ah, January, the month that bad movies go to die. Happily there are exceptions to this rule and "The Finest Hours" is one. This tale of peril and heroism is sure to get your heart racing (and swelling) for its compelling story, incredible visual effects and moments of taut excitement and peril.

Director Craig Gillespie ("Lars the the Real Girl," "Million Dollar Arm") brings the best-selling book by Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias to the screen thanks to a screenplay adaptation by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. Sometimes seeing this many screenplay credits is a red flag, but in this case, it seems there were just enough chefs to cook up a powerful and heart-warming tale about one of the most daring rescue attempts in US Coast Guard history. The movie (and the book) are based on true events.

As the story goes, Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) is a Boatswain's Mate in the Coast Guard in a small town in Massachusetts in 1952. He meets a girl (Holliday Grainger), she asks him to marry her and he says, "No." Say what?

One of the things that sets this film apart from some is that not every character or plot line fits into a predictable formula. Chris Pine's character isn't a dynamic and charasmatic hero. He's more of a quiet, by-the-book kind of everyman who always does what he's told and rarely takes chances. So when he's placed in a perilous situation: the attempted rescue of the crew of an oil tanker that has literally split in half on rough seas during a Nor'Easter, we the audience aren't entirely sure how he is going to behave. Should he follow orders at any cost? Or should be improvise? Can he even survive the treacherous search?

Meanwhile, we also get to see things from the point of view of the crew of the doomed tanker. Casey Affleck turns in a quiet but powerful performance as assistant engineer Ray Sybert, who has some pretty strange - and not particularly popular - ideas about how to keep the crippled tanker afloat long enough for someone to find and rescue the crew. Like Bernie Webber, Sybert is no charismatic hero, nor is he a naturally born leader. He's just a guy who has a deep knowledge of the ship who wants to survive. And like Webber, Sybert steps up when the situation requires it and takes charge in executing a bold plan for survival.

There are certainly some pacing issues and many lulls in the story. The exciting bits are preceded by a fairly plodding set-up and a decided lack of deep character development, as well as a romantic sub-plot that doesn't quite catch fire. Also, the way the story unfolds seems fairly unbelievable. But some cursory research of the actual events suggests that the film-makers got most, if not all, of the major facts straight. I won't spoil anything or give away any major plot points, but suffice it to say that there will be more than one moment when you say, "how can they possibly survive?" You'll feel like you're going through the eye of the storm yourself, crashing through 50-foot waves on a fragile wooden boat. I was literally on the edge of my seat more than once. Not knowing the outcome in advance definitely helps to heighten the tension so if you've managed to avoid any spoilers until now, go see this film, and preferably see it in IMAX 3D (as I did) for the fully immersive experience.

If you've been scared off before by all the dreck that comes out in movie theaters in January, Hollywood's movie graveyard, then give "The Finest Hours" a chance. If you're like me, you're sure to enjoy the ride.