Greyhound

This summer's GREYHOUND is a refreshingly earnest, unashamedly old-fashioned wartime drama without fat.  Namely, it's free of bloated character sketches, gratuitous suplots, extra characters who are not front and center, and excessive flashbacks.  Director Aaron Schneider's ninety-minute film, based on C.S Forester's novel The Good Shepherd, sets out to be a lean, cut-to-the-chase nuts and bolts look at the logistics of battle.  And nothing more.  By that criteria, this is a modest success.

Such enterprises tend to displease many viewers.  Their criticisms are understandable.  DUNKIRK suffered the sames slings and arrows.  Folks tend to latch onto compelling characters and traditional narratives.  A film like GREYHOUND may seem like a dry, humorless exercise, designed specifically for those who either served in or are at least students of WW II.  To me, a hard approach like this can be as compelling as any melodrama, depending on who is driving.  DUNKIRK had a master behind the camera.  GREYHOUND has a relative novice with only two prior films (as director) under his belt, though Schneider has served as Director of Photography on a few more.

Tom Hanks (who also penned the screenplay) returns to a milieu with which he is quite familiar - captain of a vessel in trouble, there to save the day.  Here he plays Navy commander Ernest Krause, leading the crew of the USS destroyer known as "Greyhound", one of three escorts for convoys of supply ships that may be vulnerable to German U-Boat attacks.  During a few tense days as the convoys make their way across the Mid-Atlantic, Krause downs a lot of coffee as he pilots his and his charges' vessels bound for London, away from torpedoes as they wait for military aircraft coverage.  Unfortunately, their voyage is through what is known as "The Black Pit", unreachable by said aircraft.

Hanks plays his role mainly barking orders, ignoring the shrieks and taunts of a U-Boat captain called Grey Wolf, and repeatedly refusing the food offered to him by the mess cook.  The rest of the cast look ashen and nervous, awaiting instructions and shouting phrases well known to fans of war movies.  I think Hanks even utters "This is what you were trained for!" to his crew.  GREYOUND spends much of its time in the confines of the ship, with periodic above and underwater shots that I assume are CGI.  Nonetheless, some of the battle scenes are tense and rousing.  Blake Neely's score does get carried away at times.

Elisabeth Shue has a scene or two (in flashback) as Evelyn, the lady Ernest wants to marry.  But duty calls.

GREYOUND, which ultimately is a taut if underwhelming film, was intended for a theatrical release this past June.  The Corona Virus Pandemic '20 delayed this and at some point Apple TV bought the rights and began airing it last week. I read that Hanks was quite disappointed by this.  Another (somewhat) high profile movie going straight to home streaming.   I wonder how profitable this will be, as Apple does offer a free seven day trial.  Disney at least had the sense to end theirs right before HAMILTON debuted.