British Actress Blog

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Score: 7/10

Director: Michael Bay

Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Jennifer Garner, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Shannon, Josh Hartnett.

Pearl Harbor

Kate Beckinsale

Synopsis: The story of two life long friends and a nurse who get caught in the infamous morning of 1941 that started a war.

Review: Rafe and Danny ( Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett ) are two young boys who dream of being fighter pilots for the United States military. When the two grow up they join the U.S. Navy and become military air pilots. Rafe one falls in love with a nurse named Evelyn ( Kate Beckinsale ). The two hit it off very well but Rafe having the need to kills someone decides to volunteer in the war effort in England. He does well but is shot down by German fighters. Believing Rafe is dead, both Danny and Evelyn mourn Rafe and fall in love with each other. As life went on for the two, Rafe returns to the U.S. and is shocked to find that his best friend took his girl while he was away.

Evelyn

Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale does well in this role. When her character takes charge and becomes the Alpha female, her acting talents truly shine. Honestly this persona has helped make her career far more noticeable to movie goers, case in point, the Underworld series. I love how she effects the story as an active protagonist rather than a passive protagonist like the film The Broke Down Palace (1999) where Clare Danes Character pushed the narrative while Kate’s character was a forgettable beta riding the coat tails of her alpha friend. Always needing to be rescued and always needing help. Although the movie was very good, Kate Beckinsale is capable of much more. This is when I actually liked seeing Ben Affleck movies. Yes these were the good old days unlike that awful film Batman V Superman (2016).

Capt. Thurman

Dan Aykroyd

The film focuses on the concept of brotherhood. For Rafe, Danny is like his brother and he cares for him while the entire military is like a huge brotherhood. Honestly watching this film kind of makes you a little sick at thinking how we humans just want to kill each other and how the characters are eager to kill someone else. Death and destruction all over this film. In today’s world, I can see how this film would be rated much lower by gun violence and war alone.

Rafe

Ben Affleck

The cinematography is absolutely superb. Seriously this is where Michael Bay definitely shines as a director. Top quality all the way. From the wardrobe, color, lighting, set dressing, backgrounds, and props this film has one of the highest quality productions I have ever reviewed. This movie reminds me of the other Kate Beckinsale film The Aviator (2004) with Leonardo DiCaprio. That film has a high focus on air planes as well. The film is watchable and very predictable. Most of the time the movie follows the idea of set up and pay off. I wont spoil the film but characters have skills and go through hardships for a reason that servers to tell the story and I am glade for that. I don’t really like war films very much and I cant say I would recommend this film. The movie is just passable due to the visual quality of Michael Bay.

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