The 33 (2015)

It’s hard to believe that the Copiapo mining disaster in Chile was fourteen years ago, perhaps less of a surprise that this interpretation of events came only five years after the incident. Antonio Banderas is on fine form as Mario, the public face of the group of thirty three miners who were trapped underground after the collapse of the mine, and made daily video diaries to assure friends and relatives that they were alright. Patricia Riggen’s film ticks all the boxes you might expect for a true-life disaster film, and is sufficiently inspirational in all the right places, with likeable characters assisting the rescue attempts (including Gabriel Byrne as Andre, the mining engineer who masterminded the eventual rescue operation). Although at times you wonder what The 33 would have looked like in the hands of someone like Paul Greengrass (or possibly Oliver Stone for a more politically heavy story), Riggen crucially gets across the truly astonishing feat of all involved in the story whilst offering a comprehensive version of events, and most importantly makes the film gripping and entertaining. The 33 also hits its’ notes of comedy in the right places, meaning that the crowd pleasing mesh of humour and excitement remains in place for its duration, without ever spilling over into frivolity. 7.3/10