MOVIE REVIEW - The Shallows

Here comes another shark movie, and the difference this time -  is that this is good. Darn good.

This is essentially a one person movie. This stars the wonderful Blake Lively who portrays a troubled young woman who is trying desperately to survive after being attacked by a shark while surfing in Mexico.  This is very nice and tidy checking in at 1 hour and 27 minutes, and almost all of them very intense.

Nancy (Lively) goes to Mexico after the death of her mother who is taken by cancer.  Nancy drops out of medical school and is trying to cope with her mothers death.  So she returns to a hidden Mexican beach her mother surfed before Nancy was born hoping that will bring her some solace.  What it brings is a savage shark attack, and this becomes a tale of survival.

This is brilliantly done. This movie is extremely intense with the entire emphasis on the impact, and the terror and the will to survive instead of the blood and gore of countless other shark movies. Nancy get marooned on this rock about 200 yards off shore and cannot make it back.  She is battling countless enemies in addition to the shark. The water, heat, sun, a badly wounded foot and leg and her inner demons.  You are the rock with her, and you squirm in your seat.

So refreshing to see a movie determined to be good instead of a bloody CG fest. There is far less shark here than you would think, but he looks great when you see him.  But this is Lively's flick. She is great, and pulls of this basically one person show with ease.  I am becoming a big fan of hers as she has grown into herself.  It's been a long time since The Traveling Pants movies.  I loved her in The Town, and the Age Of Adaline was a real nice performance. 

She is easy to watch on screen, and is really good here in a very physically challenging role.   I find myself really being ready to see what her next project will be. She's becoming that good.

The Shallows. Solid, intense, good.  Like a good jolt at the movies?  Go see this.