The Perfect Storm (eng)
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm" - a tempest that may happen only once in a century - a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour (193 kph), the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat headed towards its hellish center.
Starring: George Clooney , Mark Wahlberg , Diane Lane , John C. Reilly , Karen Allen .

'The Perfect Storm' marks the teaming up of George Clooney ('Out of Sight', 'Batman and Robin') and Mark Wahlberg ('The Corrupter', 'The Big Hit') again since their last outing together in 'Three Kings'.

The movie was directed by Wolfgang Petersen ('Air Force One', 'Outbreak') and the story is based upon a book written by Sebastian Junger. The screenplay was written by Bill Wittliff ('Legends of the Fall') and the musical score done by James Horner ('Titanic', 'Apollo 13', 'Braveheart'). Running time of the movie is slightly over two hours.

'The Perfect Storm' is came about when Hurricane Grace collided with two other weather fronts in the North Atlantic in October 1991. When the three met, a monster of a storm was created which was more fearsome and greater then any in recorded history.

The movie is about a group of fishermen in Gloucester, Massachusetts who were at sea that fateful night and faced the most terrifying night of their lives. The six fishermen - Billy Tyne (George Clooney), Bobby Shatford (Mark Wahlberg), Dale Murphy (John C. Reilly), Bugsy Moran (John Hawkes), David Sullivan (William Fichtner) and Alfred Pierre (Allen Payne) - are out at sea on the Andrea Gail trying to return home with a full shipload of fish when the storm struck.

The captain of another fishing boat, Linda Greenlaw (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) of the Hannah Boden, tries to warn them but it was too late. Meanwhile, back home, their families and friends, including Shatford's girlfriend Christina (Diane Lane), wait anxiously for news of their safety. Also, a Coast Guard rescue helicopter sent to save the crew of the sailboat Mistral is thrown into this cauldron from hell.

'The Perfect Storm' starts slowly, letting the viewers to get to know the characters' lives, their motivations and their dreams. Then as the storm starts to build in intensity, the tension and suspense also increases. And when the storm really hits, all hell breaks loose. Waves about a hundred feet tall, desperate attempts by the crew to control the ship and at the same time, rescue crew members who fell overboard, incredible and courageous rescue attempts by the Coast Guard, water sloshing everywhere.all these were captured by superb camera work.

I couldn't even begin to describe all the nail-biting tension this movie generated in me. Imagine..if you will, jumping straight from a helicopter into an ocean that's boiling with mountainous swells.

The acting here is secondary to the special effects although it has to be mentioned that Clooney and Wahlberg were great as grubby and unkempt fishermen. They really looked like they hadn't freshened up in weeks. As for the rest of the supporting cast, passable and competent performances are turned in.

What really carries 'The Perfect Storm' off are the special effects and to a small extent, the drama and suspense engendered by the characters. This is a story of nature unleashed in all its fury and 'The Perfect Storm' really shows the awe-inspiring power of a raging sea. This has got to be one of the best movies I've seen so far this year.