Writer/Director: Tom McCarthy
Starring: Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin and Camille Cottin
Not many actors have achieved recognition of Matt Damon. Ever since his rise to fame in the 1990’s, Damon has become a beloved icon. Whether it’s space scavengers, gifted janitors or soldiers, Damon has portrayed many strong characters. Arguably, Damon’s finest strength as an actor has often been his strong commitment to his craft. He is one of those actors that has always had talent for stealing the show in supporting roles which have limited screen-time. Even when he isn’t a main focus of a movie, Damon has always left a lasting impression. Through his capability to portray characters that are engaging, Damon has created a legacy that’s lasting. Although he is best known for his iconic role as Bourne in the spy franchise, Damon has proven that he can make engaging movies in every single genre. Throughout his career, Damon has made several unforgettable movies which are worth talking about.
I’m a huge fan of Damon and adore all the moves he has made in his career. However, “Stillwater” definitely stands out as his most underrated movie. Released in 2021, Tom McCarthy’s movie offered a strong portrait of a real-life missing person case. Packed with breathtaking production, captivating storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s an engaging crime drama. At the centre of it all is a fantastic performance by Matt Damon, who embodies a father seeking to find his missing daughter causing tension. Although “Stillwater” is a captivating crime drama, it isn’t a flawless film. It’s unevenly paced, and builds an ambiguous conclusion without any resolution. Nevertheless, it offers engrossing entertainment that will satisfy fans of crime dramas.
Based on true events, “Stillwater” tells the story of a courageous father searching for his daughter. Matt Damon embodies Bill Baker, an American roughneck oil worker. Bill has always shared a strong bond with his daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin), whom he loves dearly. However, Bill’s life forever changes when his goes missing causing a disaster. Embarking on a journey towards France, Bill strives to rescue his daughter from catastrophe. As he discovers painful realities of becoming a father, Bill questions whether it’s possible to reunite with his long lost daughter. Faced with a dilemma, Bill is forced to question his love for his country of America.
Tom McCarthy is fascinated with scandals. A fantastic filmmaker, McCarthy has often made engaging movies about controversial scandals. His iconic film “Spotlight” offered a powerful portrait of journalists seeking to resolve a religious Catholic Church scandal. With “Stillwater”, however, McCarthy made his first crime drama. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture the lives of fathers seeking to solve daughters’ disappearance, but he succeeded tremendously. Using bold cinematography, McCarthy captures lives of fathers facing immense adversity. Evoking Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River”, McCarthy effectively uses handheld camerawork to capture fathers facing a rescue journey. For instance, handheld camerawork enhances the France entry scene. During this intense scene, Bill faces tension when he enters the country of France. Using stunning handheld camerawork, McCarthy created a portrait of missing people that’s compelling. Handheld camerawork is a tricky technique. As Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” suggests, handheld camerawork elevates WWII films. Nevertheless, it works tremendously. Using captivating visuals, McCarthy captures grim tensions which fathers on missions are often facing.
Another strong aspect of “Stillwater” that merits appreciation is production. From a technical perspective, it’s one of the best crime films made. Evoking Doug Liman’s “The Bourne Identity”, McCarthy expertly uses cross-cutting to capture tension that fathers on missions are facing. For instance, cross-cutting elevates the daughter reunion scene. During this heartfelt scene, Bill has an emotional reunion with his daughter. Using cross-cutting, McCarthy created a strong portrait of fathers that’s compelling.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Stillwater” is a film about crime which is engaging. The film is beautifully written, effectively using silence to capture grim tensions that are faced by fathers seeking reuniting with daughters. Emulating John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”, McCarthy uses silence to capture the hardships faced by fathers in a quiet place. For instance, the silence elevates the farewell scene. During this heartbreaking scene, Bill bids fearful to his beloved daughter causing tension. Using silence, McCarthy crafts a strong portrait of father’s audiences can relate to. Silence is a tricky technique to use in films. As Gus Van Sant’s “Good Will Hunting” proved clearly, silence elevates classic coming of age films. Nevertheless, it works immensely. Through a spectacular screenplay, McCarthy captures the lives of fathers that experience a painful price to pay.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Matt Damon delivers one of his best career performances as Bill. Damon first earned appreciation playing rebellious teenagers in classic coming of age film. With “Stillwater”, however, he took on his most complex role. It isn’t easy to portray a father that faced adversity but he succeeds immensely. This is the actor unlike you’ve ever seen him before: intense, charisma and rebellious. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the greatest actors that’s working in Hollywood
While the movie is mainly a showcase for Matt Damon, the supporting cast is also excellent and worthy of recognition. Abigail Breslin is brilliant, capturing the emotions faced by a girl seeking to reunite with her lost father. Moussa Maaskri is marvellous is magnificent, capturing the authority faced by a police officer seeking to save his city from catastrophe. Lastly, Camille Cottin is captivating. As a concerned mother, she is unforgettable.
Although “Stillwater” is a riveting crime film, it isn’t flawless. If there’s a shortcoming to the move, it lacks engaging pacing. Scenes focusing on Bill’s past life a roughneck are not always as engaging as his journey to find his daughter. Moreover, the film lacks a compelling ending. It’s an ambiguous finale that fails to bring the movie towards a great conclusion. At worst, it sugarcoats the harsh reality of fathers. Therefore, “Stillwater” is one of those rare movies about crime which everyone wouldn’t adore.
Nevertheless, fans of Matt Damon would enjoy “Stillwater” and so would audiences seeking exhilarating entertainment. A bold blockbuster, it honours an iconic actor.
Nearly 5 years following the release of a groundbreaking film about a father that embarks on a journey to find his missing daughter, it’s a bold reminder of an actor that has achieved a huge following by his abilities to portray compelling characters in memorable movies which audiences have grown to treasure.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 