326. Thirteen Lives; movie review

 

THIRTEEN LIVES

Cert 12A

147 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate threat, infrequent strong language

Who knew? A chap from my home city led the rescue of 12 children and their football coach from a Thai cave. 

I doubt that West Midlands firefighter Rick Stanton ever dreamed he would one day be portrayed by Hollywood star Viggo Mortensen in an Oscar-touted movie.

But that is the hand fate has played for the hero from Coventry.

Four years ago, he and his fellow expert cave diver, John Volanthen (Colin Farrell) carried off one of the most daring and ingenious rescues in history 

Ron Howard's Thirteen Lives is a full-on account of how they put together a team to save the boys who had been trapped by floodwater.

It is especially admirable because there are no romances, sweeteners or made-up antagonisms between characters. 

Frankly, the story needs no embellishment. It is dramatic enough.

The Brits offer their help after the story of the boys' plight hits the international news. Nobody has heard of them for days and they are presumed dead.

And then they are discovered - after the rescuers literally swim for hours through underground crags and crevices.

What happens next is remarkable and nerve-tingling.

Howard has successfully created the claustrophobia of the caves and the rising anxiety of the race against time.

But most of all, there is the ingenuity of the rescue for which Joel Edgerton's character plays an unlikely but key part.

It is a nail-biting but uplifting movie.

Reasons to watch: One of the most astounding rescues of all time

Reasons to avoid: Lots of claustrophobic scenes

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? Divers used "Heyphones," a 20-year-old technology, to communicate with the rescue base. The ultra-low frequency transmitters are able to penetrate through rock and send divers' locations and messages.

The final word. Viggo Mortensen: "We were well-trained, but you had to suck it up and do it. It was a great experience and really a sense of accomplishment and an honour to represent these people who really did the thing." Coming Soon

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