The 33 is an inspiring story that the world knows all-too well. In this age of making movies about headline grabbing moments as soon as possible, does that recentness hurt the tale of 33 Chilean miners who were trapped below the earth for 69 days?
The point is, actually, it doesn’t matter. What those men, their families and the Chilean government went through to not lose one life… is inspiring and must be told and thankfully was told by director Patricia Riggen in a film that is also harrowing, surprisingly suspenseful (given that we know how it ends) and uplifting.
Antonio Banderas and Lou Diamond Phillips lead an all-star cast in the film that wastes no time in getting the miners deep underground to meet their fate. We meet them initially at a family party led by Banderas’ Mario. There’s a quick introduction to each of the main characters, but Riggen and her team of screenwriters (there is four credited, included it being based on the book by Hector Tobar) know that they’ll have plenty of time to fill out these characters are they trapped while their families are doing everything they can to bring attention to the mining company who seems to want to sweep these souls under the mountain.
Rodrigo Santoro plays Laurence Golborne, the Secretary of Mining for the Chilean government. He sees immediately through the mining company’s smoke and mirrors and doesn’t want his government to have to explain to the world how it let a private mining company turn a mountain into a mass grave. He mobilizes the resources of the government and spearheads the effort to rescue these man who toil in the dark and bring them back up to the sunshine.
The writers and Riggen do a masterful job of giving us characterizations of so many men that had to be one of their biggest challenges in bringing this story to the big screen. The focus is primarily on Banderas, Santoro and Phillips and each brings their A-game. Santoro has seen his star rise of late, and his performance in The 33 will only help that trajectory.
Meanwhile, as a longtime appreciator of Banderas, it’s delightful to see him get a role that is worth his talent (we’re looking at you SpongeBob Squarepants Movie!). He brings us a character that goes through the widest ranges of rollercoasters while trapped underground and simultaneously manages to pull it together to serve as the leader of The 33, even though technically that title should fall to Phillips’ Don Lucho. Phillips takes a role that could have been two-dimensional (somewhat of the villain in that his manager knew that the mine was a deathtrap) person and gave it depth of caring, sorrow, regret and hope.
Now to the issue we brought up earlier. Knowing how this extraordinary situation unfolded, does it hurt the experience of watching the film?
No, simply because what these miners experienced is so incredible that to witness what they went through, starring starvation, desolation and death itself in the face makes this a warranted tale to see in a forum that only film can provide. But what does bother us a bit is the fact that more Latinos were not cast in major roles. It’s not like there aren’t enough uber talented thespians of Latino descent that could have helped give The 33 more cultural gravitas.
The role of the president of Chile, is one for example. Don’t get us wrong, Bob Gunton (Argo) is a terrific actor, but playing a central figure in a truly Latino story does the overall message of this film an injustice. Again, love Gabriel Byrne and Juliette Binoche (although… Oscar-winner Binoche proves she can do anything and nails it.), but an Irishman and a French woman would not have been our first choice to play pivotal roles in a Chilean cinematic celebration of courage, endurance and the human spirit.
Grade: B