Adrift - Movie Review

I can't really say I am a fan of "open water dramas." There have been a few good ones. Life of Pi, and Cast Away come to mind as good examples of this setting. A lot of these films aggravate me because they usually involve a lot of contrivances. Because Adrift is based on a true story, I felt like I might get something out of it. In retrospect, it was worth seeing at the theater.

Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) is what we politely refer to as a "free spirit." She appears to be drifting even as we first meet her. She has been working as a sea-bound cook, but that gig has just ended. She isn't ready to head back to San Diego yet, so she finds dock work in Tahiti. While working on the docks, she meets an interesting sailor named Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin). Richard built his own boat and is a bit of a drifter himself. While sailing the open seas can be tedious, he loves the thrill of distant horizons. The pair seem a natural fit.

In the way of flashbacks, we follow their romance. The past stands in contrast to the survival battle that is their present. A storm has made Richard a non-factor and has required Tami to keep both of them alive. She has to repair the tattered ship, figure out location coordinates, map her route, find food and remain focused. It is daunting. Rather than maintain their current heading, Tami makes the risky choice to change her heading and try to hit Hawaii. The decision is risky but will take advantage of the wind and tides. But if she misses, it is open water until Japan.

Adrift is a true story. Had it been told in a linear fashion, the first half of the film would have been a bit slow and boring. By placing the film in the present, and giving the back story in flashbacks, the writers are able to maintain good pacing while keeping the film interesting and engaging. It was a good choice. Spending too much time in either setting might have been irritating. The film maintains a steady pace with easy-to-follow transitions. The editing kept this film tight. At one hour, 36 minutes, it is exactly the right length. It would have been easy to drag this one out. I'm glad they didn't.

I was not a huge fan of the Divergent series, but I have been a fan of Shailene Woodley since her performance in The Descendants several years ago. She is a strong actress. Interestingly, she is paired with another actor known for his role in a teenage dystopian drama, Sam Claflin, who played Finnick in the Hunger Games films. I can't say I am a fan of Claflin, although I have seen several of his films. He is solid in this film, but the jury is still out on him. Adrift is a film with a strong female lead, so it didn't require much heavy lifting from Claflin anyway. Woodley was awesome in the lead role here. She closed the deal for me. She isn't your typical Hollywood look. But it works for her. I am expecting good things from her in the future. I'm glad she wasn't pigeon-holed after Divergent.

Adrift received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA. I almost expected to see an R based on one scene that was awfully close to full-frontal nudity. But there wasn't a lot objectionable aside from that contextual scene. There were bits and pieces, but they all added up. None of it felt gratuitous. There was a brief marijuana scene, a bit of strong language, a gruesome injury, intense peril from the storms and a bit of nudity. All of it fit within the broader story. I think PG-13 is precise and would suggest teen audiences or older.

Adrift was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was hoping to find it better than some of the more irritating films in this genre (oops, we all got off the boat and now no one can help us back on). It was a good story and presented in a way that maintained interest. It required a strong female lead, which Woodley delivered. The film was packaged well and I left the theater feeling like my time spent was worthwhile. 7.5/10.

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