Stream it on Netflix.
The late Christopher Reeve once spoke about the power of film; how it can be used to raise awareness and inspire people from all walks of life. Sometimes, people tend to assume that accomplishing such goals with cinema means diminishing entertainment value because, by nature, people go to the movies to escape from real-world problems. I have always believed that you can make films that are both socially relevant and exhilaratingly entertaining (movies like District 9 and First Blood come to mind). Today's film, Blue Miracle, is a film that more or less succeeds in being socially important while still being a heart-warming work of inspiration. While I could have done without a few minor elements, I still had a great time with this movie.
Set in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the story follows a man named Omar (Jimmy Gonzales), who runs a safe haven for orphaned boys called Casa Hogar. He and his wife find themselves in a pickle when they suddenly have to raise a large sum of money in thirty days, or they'll lose the building. By sheer happenstance, their town gets hit by a massive hurricane which spooks the participants of an annual fishing contest called Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament: a competition to catch the biggest Blue Marlin possible for a chance at a massive cash prize. To maintain the event, the organizers decide to waive the entrance fee for local fishing captains. One such local fisherman, Captain Waid (Dennis Quaid), a down-on-his-luck two-time champion of the contest, desperately wants to sign up and recapture his former glory (along with some prize money). Now, he and Omar, along with some of the boys, who have never fished a day in their lives, must form a ragtag crew for the chance to catch a big one and save their home. Along the way, they might grow as a surrogate family and confront some past demons.
One of the fascinating aspects of the film is its use of color. The film boasts impressive cinematography by Santiago Benet Mari, who makes the colors pop in every frame, especially the color blue, which seems to dominate almost the entire color palette. Further impressive is the film's clever use of the color red (blues diametric opposite) to highlight the story's corrupt and destructive moments. It may come across as overly simplistic, but there is an elegance in simplicity often overlooked or needlessly criticized.
The cast is remarkable all around. Jimmy Gonzales has a natural charm about him that kept reminding me of Billy Zane: he's energetic, approachable, and genuinely makes you feel cared for. His performance is further enhanced by his decent chemistry with Dennis Quaid, who, while I admit, remains one of my favorite actors, I will also admit that he seems to be reaching that age where his own charisma is running low on fuel just a bit. He's not unwatchable; he's just kind of no longer the same guy you may remember from Undercover Blues, is what I mean.
While there may have been a few aspects of the film I could have done without (which I will expound upon further in the future), Blue Miracle is a wonderful film that is just the right amount of cheesy feel-good energy that everyone could use right now.
Give it a look.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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