Greyhound

The Pit. An area in the North Atlantic Ocean that couldn't be surveilled by fighter planes during World War II. Fighter planes used to provide aerial support to ships crossing towards Europe carrying much needed supplies to help aid the allied war effort. The only line of defense for these convoys of supply ships were the battleships & destroyers that led the way. One such destroyer was called the USS Keeling and it's Captain was a man named Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks), a career Naval Officer who's first command of a destroyer coincided with the Battle Of The Atlantic. His job, to lead and protect the ships behind his from the wolfpack of relentless U-Boats hunting for them.

90 minutes. A magical number. The perfect length for the vast majority of movies. When a film is 90 minutes long it means there's no need for unnecessary padding and it ensures a film will cut right to the chase. 90 minutes headlined by a acting stalwart like Tom Hanks is a no brainer right. You can do wrong with Greyhound. It's a lean and economical war movie that doesn't feel the urge to be an epic or a state of the union address. It has a story to tell and it does it in an unshowy fashion without the need for silly action or unnecessary pyrotechnics (ok there's some). It's not a film you'll remember in years to come (for reasons I'll get to) but if you're craving a short sharp blast then here you go.

I've a gra for movies that show well trained people carrying out their work efficiently and exactly. Onboard the Keeling there's no room for mavericks, no one goes off book, people even apologise after they say "fuck". They follow their captain's commands to the letter and things work out. Sure if you had a boss like Tom Hanks why wouldn't you do what you're told. The man's been a steady hand on our screens for 35+ years now and you just feel safe with him around. Greyhound knows this and plays to his strengths and our expectations of him. Jesus I'm making this sounds fierce boring altogether aren't I. It's not, I assure you. Within 5 minutes everything's kicking off and because, for once, it's a war film about fictional characters so we don't have the safety net of googling the outcome to fall back on when things start looking dark.

Imagine it. Night time in the North Atlantic, shattered tired, starving, feet bloody with blisters, a Kraut U-Boat captain (Thomas Kretschmann, unseen but effective) taunting you, telling you today's the day you're going to die. Wouldn't you just shit yourself. Greyhound gives us a little taste of what that kind of fear must be like. The ever present spectre of death looming over you like the Northern Lights atop a sea full of carnage in one memorable shot. It nails that horrible claustrophobia of battle. Claustrophobia in the middle of an Ocean. It's a strange one ain't it. It's a film that makes little concession to the viewers either. Naval jargon is shouted left and right and director Aaron Schneider thankfully doesn't feel the need to stop and explain it to us. It all adds to the feeling of confusion when you're trying to figure out a term while deck canons and depth charges explode all around you.

I praised that 90 minute runtime earlier but it does have it's downsides. The brilliant Stephen Graham is wasted as Cole, Krause's second in command and recognisable faces like Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Rob Morgan get little more to do than and follow commands and serve coffee. Oh and don't mention Elisabeth Shue who I'm guessing was able to film her part between breakfast and lunch of the same day. Had a tiny bit more time been spent with the supporting cast and away from the star then Greyhound might have had a touch of much needed humanity to make it memorable.

Greyhound is available now to stream from Apple TV. Like all Apple products it's solid & well made  but lacking all warmth.