SEA WOLF (eOne, 2009) D: Mike Barker, w/ Sebastian Koch, Stephen Campbell Moore. Rating: NNN DVD package: NNN Rating: NNN
An unusual, well-worked-out story faithful to Jack London’s classic novel of adventure and philosophy plus compelling performances and strong location work make Sea Wolf a rewarding night on the couch.
In 1902, dilettante literary critic Humphrey Van Weyden (Stephen Campbell Moore) falls into the ocean off San Francisco and is rescued by Wolf Larsen’s ship on its way to the sealing waters off Japan. Larsen (Sebastian Koch, from The Lives Of Others) is a smart, cultured monster who believes in nothing but his own power and beats his men savagely. Shipboard life is hell and getting worse. There are murmurs of mutiny. Meanwhile, Larsen’s hated brother, at the helm of his own ship, draws nearer.
Tim Roth, the brother, and Neve Campbell, his passenger turned castaway, contribute lively turns, but the TV movie belongs to Koch, who makes the most of a very meaty role.
The movie gains its pervasive sense of unease from shooting aboard a real ship at sea. Check out the brief making-of doc for details.
EXTRAS Making-of doc, on-set footage. English, French audio. English subtitles.
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