U-571 (2000)
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
In 1942, to frustrate the Nazis decimating the Atlantic convoys, the US Navy plans to capture a stricken U-boat - carrying the Enigma coding device - with a fake German rescue sub. The operation goes disastrously wrong. However, Lt Tyler (McConaughey, sonambulent), a popular but frustrated officer, proves his worth by navigating the U-boat plus its vital device into safe waters. Aided by persuasive effects and authoritative production design from Götz (Das Boot) Weidner, writer/director Mostow pays his dues to the genre, but without much charge and even less depth. After an overextended landlocked prologue, the film pits Tyler and his sub against the German navy in a series of efficient if predictable cat and mouse encounters. A natural climax eludes the film-makers and instead an endnote asks us, with some gall, to view this Americanised composite as a tribute to largely British actions during WWII.Author: MHi
Cast & crew
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Jon Bon Jovi, Harvey Keitel, David Keith, Thomas Kretschmann, Jake Weber, Jack Noseworthy, Thomas Guiry full cast
Duration: 116 mins
Features
Gray's anatomy
James Gray wants to push buttons—again.
The next big thing?
Gigantic Releasing tries to rethink indie distribution…without movie theaters.
Red Diva: Lyubov Orlova, First Lady of Soviet Cinema
So you think you can dance, comrade?
Puppet master
Coraline director Henry Selick takes stop-motion animation into 3-D.
Socratic method
Laurent Cantet's approach on the set matches the message of his film.
Wander woman
Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy puts a Bush-era spin on the road movie.
Oscars
Read our interviews with the nominees, our reviews of the nominated films and more.

What do you think?
Post your review now