100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 82: The Big Blue

Director: Luc Besson

Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Romance

Runtime: 167 minutes

Year: 1988

Starring: Jean Reno, Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette, Paul Shenar, Sergio Castellitto, Jean Bouise, Marc Duret, Griffin Dunne, Andréas Voutsinas, Valentina Vargas, Kimberly Beck, Patrick Fontana, Alessandra Vazzoler, Geoffrey Carey, Bruce Guerre-Berthelot

Description: Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy-adventure. Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo (Jean Reno) are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men (he even considers a school of dolphins as his extended family). As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest -- determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear -- Jacques meets Johanna (Rosanna Arquette), a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea.

Review: Besides filmmaking, director Luc Besson has one passion: diving. “The Big Blue” has that theme. It’s a film about friendship, identity and love. Together with the beautiful landscapes and underwater scenes, “The Big Blue” is a wonderful movie experience.

Besson can make both exciting and dramatically compelling movies. And the love for the aquatic life is clear in this movie. Amazing shots of a dolphin in the ocean, combined with the music by Eric Serra. The way character Jacques Mayol is around the animals, is just magical.

Both Jean-Marc Barr and Jean Reno are good in their roles. Sadly enough Rosanna Arquette isn’t the right woman for the role of Johanna. She has no depth. The rivalry between Enzo and Jacques dies have this depth. It’s the back bone of the story. Overall, “The Big Blue” is a good film, with beautiful images.

Rating: 4/ 5