The Surface: DVD Review
Arriving this week on DVD and VOD is “The Surface”, which stars Sean Astin, Chris Mulkey and directed by Gil Cates, Jr. I am usually a fan of films that are centered on just a couple of characters and set in a single location. It can be a thriller about a few individuals trapped in a room together or a couple people stranded at sea or in the desert. Because of this, I was looking forward to “The Surface”.
As the film begins, it is obvious that Mitch (Astin) is a very unhappy individual. He lives alone, apparently is having financial troubles and his mother is very ill. We learn all of this before Mitch takes his father’s boat out for a ride in Lake Michigan with very little fuel but plenty of alcohol. Just as Mitch begins to take his first sip, his boat runs over some debris in the water. He soon notices a sinking airplane and a man hanging onto a piece of the floating debris. Mitch rescues the wounded pilot, Kelly (Mulkey) and brings him aboard his boat.
With the boats propeller now broken from the impact with the debris, the men slowly begin to learn about the events in each other’s lives that lead them to this moment. Each of them have their own demons they must deal with and hopefully they will be able to if they ever get rescued.
“The Surface” is simply OK. We learn a bit more about each character through flashbacks but ultimately they just aren’t that interesting. Mulkey is actually really great here and Astin is passable. I just felt like there was a better film somewhere in there….below the surface.
By: Marc Ferman