Last Breath
A fascinating documentary is turned into a breathless thriller set 300 feet beneath the surface of the North Sea.
Woody Harrelson
Image courtesy of Entertainment Film Distributors
It’s astonishing how many people take for granted the imperceptible process that keeps them alive. In fact, today the human species has largely lost the ability to breathe correctly. Our ancestors knew better. A few pages into James Nestor’s bestselling book Breath (Riverhead Books in the US/Penguin in the UK) should change forever the way you view your nostrils.
What happened in Alex Parkinson’s 2019 documentary Last Breath was extraordinary and remains unexplained. The second film version of the incident that occurred 300 feet beneath the surface of the North Sea opens with the legend “this is a true story.” Parkinson returns as director, Woody Harrelson has been drafted in for Hollywood star power and gravitas, while the presence of Simu Liu should help draw in an Asian demographic. But this is really the tale of Chris Lemons, played by an effortlessly engaging Finn Cole (Michael Gray in Peaky Blinders). Lemons is one of many divers who routinely put their lives on the line in order to maintain the 20,000 miles of pipeline that encircle the ocean floor. Again, it’s something we take for granted, the everyday upkeep of the miraculous infrastructure that allows us to reap the benefits of a technological age. And make no mistake, it is one of the most dangerous jobs on earth.
The documentarian Alex Parkinson deploys his knowledge of the medium to provide an authenticity to his subject matter, eschewing the temptation to talk down to his audience. Thus, the jargon, hand-held camera and casual camaraderie of the crew of the diving bell floated out from Aberdeen Harbour all add an air of immediacy that draws the viewer in. It’s gripping, fascinating and, indeed, educational stuff. One can only hope that the ‘saturation divers’ are well paid for their efforts.
Inevitably, once Parkinson has established the background of his characters, in particular Chris Lemons (who is looking forward to getting married when he returns to dry land), something goes pear-shaped. For claustrophobes, the film should prove a particularly nerve-racking dive into the depths of the auditorium, as Parkinson skilfully applies his filmmaking expertise, aided by top-of-the-range assistance from his production crew. Only, perhaps, is Paul Leonard-Morgan’s score laid on a little thick, although the music comes into its own when the drama genuinely demands it. It’s a relief, too, not to encounter any alien life beneath the waves – the story is quite strong enough to engage us. Or is it? Last Breath is really dealing with one solitary incident, suggesting that some fleshed-out backstories might have given the film more substance. It’s exciting – briefly – but it does feel rather slight for a mainstream feature release. Nonetheless, one really should remember to breathe (and ideally the way nature intended).
JAMES CAMERON-WILSON
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole, Cliff Curtis, Mark Bonnar, MyAnna Buring, Bobby Rainsbury, Josef Altin, Nick Biadon.
Dir Alex Parkinson, Pro David Brooks, Paul Brooks, Hal Sadoff, Norman Golightly, Jeremy Plager, Stewart le Maréchal, Al Morrow and Anna Mohr-Pietsch, Ex Pro Daryl Katz, Chloe Katz, Paul Marcaccio, Alex Parkinson, Jonny Persky, Dan Clifton, Richard Da Costa, Jared D. Underwood, Andrew C. Robinson, Danny Mandel, Alastair Burlingham, Gary Raskin and Mitchell LaFortune, Screenplay Mitchell LaFortune, Alex Parkinson and David Brooks, Ph Nick Remy Matthews and Ian Seabrook, Pro Des Grant Montgomery, Ed Tania Goding, Music Paul Leonard-Morgan, Costumes Vanessa Loh, Sound Ben Baird.
Longshot Films/Dark Castle Entertainment/Gold Circle Films/MetFilm-Entertainment Film Dists Ltd.
92 mins. UK/USA. 2023. US Rel: 28 February 2025. UK Rel: 14 March 2025. Cert. 12A.
