The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Review
By David Kempler
The Devil Is In The Good Details
When "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" opens it's a little bit confusing as to where we are heading. There is a discovery of a diary floating in the open seas and an awful lot of narration that contains somewhat nebulous and preachy patter.
Then, first-time feature director Bill Purple introduces us to Henry (Jason Sudeikis), a successful but not overly confident architect and his very pregnant wife, Penny (Jessica Biel). Penny is a lovely and very happy, quirky young lady.
We see Henry fretting before he goes to an important corporate meeting. He can't find his brown loafers because Penny has thrown them out and replaced them with bright, purple sneakers. Having little choice, he puts them on and heads to work.
The project at work is a rousing success, but it is quickly rendered meaningless when he receives a phone call telling him that his wife has died in a car crash. In the next scene, Henry is home, which is filled with mourners. At first, you can't help watching Sudeikis and wonder if the gifted comedic actor will be able to pull off such a serious turn and it temporarily took me out of the film. However, the way the story develops from this point works, primarily because of a great performance by Maisie Williams as Millie, a sixteen-year-old waif who wanders the neighborhood picking up discarded items.
Purple lets us into Millie's head very slowly because Millie is closed off to all people around her. She doesn't want anyone to know her. Millie has secrets and open wounds that she employs in order to keep away from all human feelings and contact. Similarly, Purple also leads us into a deeper understanding of Penny's personality through extensive flashbacks. These tactics add a layer of mystery and suspense.
"The Devil and the Blue Sea" premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and it is far from perfect, but the symbolic and literal journey that Henry and Millie share is worth taking with them. It's emotionally manipulative, but I didn't care at all, because I bought into it. It's difficult to know whether you will also buy into it, but I suggest that watching Henry and Millie learn about what life means to them is awfully rewarding and well worth your time.
