There is Fear on THE BURNING SEA

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming from director John Andreas Andersen and Magnet comes the story of the continual need for oil and the dangers created from getting it with THE BURNING SEA.

It is 2019 and in the Norwegian Sea there are platforms spreading over the water that are drilling for oil. Since its beginning in 1969, it has been successful in the original plan. Sophia (Kristine Thorp) and fellow researcher Arthur (Rolf Larsen) created a underwater robotic camera that help search for the missing and check wreckage.

Sophia has a mixture of business and relationship as boyfriend Stian (Henrik Bjelland) and his young son Odin (Nils Olsen). Stian works on platforms but supports Sophia’s work and loves having her as part of his life. When one of the platforms collapse, Sophia and Arthur are brought in to look for survivors, instead they discover a crack in the ocean floor.

When going through the footage they collected, it is clear that the crack is connected, and all of the platforms are in danger. More frightening is that Stian is on one of those rigs. Sophia reaches out to William Lie (Bjorn Floberg) who is in the operations room watching everything to tell him what she has discovered, and that boyfriend Stian is on one of the rigs.

Not seeming interested and refusing to help Stian, Sophia takes matters into her own hands. Arthur agrees to go as well as they make their way to the platform and learn that Lie made a decision that means they are in the path of death.

They now face what is in front of them and what is to come!

Thorp as Sophia is well aware of the dangers of the rigs out in the ocean. Keeping her research on technology that can help in different ways is her focus. That gives her a break from knowing the potential of what could happen to boyfriend Stian. Once the worst begins to happen, Sophia jumps into action and Thorp gives her character what it takes to save lives and bring at least one person home to his son.

Bjelland as Stian knows a few things for sure, he loves his son Odin, loves Sophia and loves his job. He has his priorities straight and, when it comes to saving lives, he jumps into action. Bjelland’s character is not splashy, but he is heroic and that is everything. Olsen as Odin is just as strong as his father as this young actor gives the feeling of strength and hope.

Floberg as Lie is the man making the decisions and it seems he is doing what is best for himself rather than the good of the people on the rigs. Sophia does not see him as an ally at all since Lie has been secretive and shady from the beginning. Floberg does a good job at keeping the audience wondering if he has the same compassion as everyone around him.

Other cast include Anders Christiansen as Navy, Anneke von der Lippe as Gunn, Christoffer Staib as Steina, Ane Skumsvoll as Berit, Cengiz Al as Jaswinder, Renate Hellerud as Renate, and Arild Sondre Sekse as Martin.

Magnet Releasing is a part of Magnolia Pictures that specializes in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy, and Asian cinema. It is also the home of classics like Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ON IN, Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, Andre Ovredal’s TROLLHUNTER, Neil Marshall’s sword and sandals bloodbath CENTURION and Tony Jaa’s ONG BAK trilogy. Recent released include the terrifying anthologies V/H/S and V/H/S/2, Xan Cassavettes’ stylish vampire film KISS OF THE DAMNED, and the sci-fi thriller THE LAST DAYS ON MARS. Upcoming films include Ti West’s THE SACRAMENT and to find out more of what is to come please visit www.magnetreleasingfilms.com.

Norwegian director John Andreas Andersen worked on another one of my favorite disaster films with THE QUAKE. Andersen is making a name for himself in this genre with good story telling followed with sharp cinematography.

THE BURNING SEA is suspense but with a story about what happened to a country and the year long after affects of this disaster. There is an understandable story here because it has truth in it that environmentalists continually warn of.

The film does not sugar coat anything in its telling and the cinematographer shows that. Andersen gives us a beginning story of when the rigs came to be and a shoot straight into 2019 and the effects of fifty-year drilling. The action sequences are powerful and large in scope, at least that is what my 75” television shows and it is perfection for a disaster film fan such as myself.

A mixture of truth and consequences are everything in THE BURNING SEA and it is also an action ride from beginning to end.

In the end – the sea has its own plan!

 

YAKUZA PRINCESS

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres and VOD from director Vicente Amorim and Magnet is the story of fate and a sword being a YAKUZA PRINCESS.

Akemi (Masumi) is a woman whose life started out in a violent way. When her family is brutally attacked, and the toddler survives. Years go by and she is now in Sao Paulo, Brazil grieving for her grandfather, working at night and training with her sensei Chiba (Toshiji Takeshima). Her world is about to change.

Waking up in the hospital is Shiro (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) all banged up and does not remember who he is or why he is there. What he does seem to have a connect with is a sword that the doctor shows him. Now he wants to get away from the hospital and find answers and that leads him to Akemi.

Right behind him is a man named Takeshi (Tsuyoshi Ihara) who is on the hunt for her. Right behind him is Kojiro (Eijiro Ozaki) and there are guns blazing and fights happening. It does not tell Akemi anything more about why or the connection she has to the sword.

But the answers do start to come and with each one Akemi becomes angrier and more determined to stop being the victim and become the warrior to avenge her family!

Masumi as Akemi is a fighter but in the midst of grieving. Trying to decide what she wants to do with her life and where she wants to be, the fate of a sword is deciding for her. Masumi gives her character strength, determination and the ability to take a punch all while discovering the darker secrets of her life. I enjoyed her performance.

Meyers as Shiro is a bit of a complex character. Is he good? Is he bad? Where does he fit in all of this? With each question comes a piece of the answer but then it gets yanked back so we are never quite sure what piece of the puzzle he is. Meyers spends most of his time getting his body pummeled but I will give him props that he comes in when it matters.

Ihara as Takeshi is another character where you are never quite sure where he falls in all of this. He keeps the viewer leery at all times which is an element of suspense that’s pretty cool for the film. Ozaki as Kojiro is just an out and out bad guy and he makes no bones about it. From the first scene he is in to the last, he is determined to take out as many people as possible.

Other cast include Nicolas Trevijano as Wallace, Charles Paraventi as Armond, Lucas Oranmian as Perito, Kenny Leu as the taxi driver and Mrs. Tsugahara as Mariko Takai.

Magnet is a part of Magnolia Pictures that specializes in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy and Asian cinema. It is also the home of classics like Tomas Alfredson’s LET THE RIGHT ON IN, Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, Andre Ovredal’s TROLLHUNTER, Neil Marshall’s sword and sandals bloodbath CENTURION and Tony Jaa’s ONG BAK trilogy. Recent released include the terrifying anthologies V/H/S and V/H/S/2, Xan Cassavettes’ stylish vampire film KISS OF THE DAMNED, and the sci-fi thriller THE LAST DAYS ON MARS. Upcoming films include Ti West’s THE SACRAMENT and to find out more of what is to come please visit www.magnetreleasingfilms.com.

YAKUZA PRINCESS is a story of loss, secrets, distrust, violence and all to keep the character of Akemi away from her past. There is action from start to finish with no breaks in between. As each secret is unwrapped, it is only partial unwrapped depending on who is doing the telling.

The addition of Meyers as Shiro brings a difficult dynamic between the characters of Akemi and Shiro. Trust becomes broken but at the same time there is the potential for an enemy to be useful in her fight for answers.

The door is also open for the characters of Akemi and Shiro to expand the story and bring it full circle. I would not mind seeing how that storyline plays out as long as it is Masumi and Meyers doing the seeking on their return to Japan.  

In the end – every sword has a story!