Greyhound - review

One of the very few criticisms made of Tom Hanks, whose reputation at this point is almost too good to be true, is that his projects are sometimes overly sentimental. Filmmakers can struggle to reign in his overwhelming natural goodness, or else find suitable narratives to surround it, to the point where last year he had to play Fred freakin’ Rogers in order to earn any critical attention.  

It’s a little surprising then that Greyhound, the latest Hanks led film for which he also penned the screenplay, is almost totally devoid of anything saccharine or sweet; in fact it’s about as efficient and business like as anything he’s done in years.

Adapted from a C S Forester novel, Greyhound focuses on an American supply convoy during world war two as it fends off a series of German U-boat attacks. Hanks plays commander Ernest Krause, who is privately very religious, has a lady waiting back home, and that’s about it. The vast majority of the exceedingly brisk runtime (80 minutes sans credits!) is dedicated solely to naval combat, the technicalities of communication, engineering, reconnaissance and engagement. There are roughly five interior sets while everything outside plays against the unending grey of the Atlantic Ocean. No character arcs, no real themes, no fluff; just boats looking for other boats, and then shooting at them when spotted.

What’s more surprising than how bare bones it is, is how well the whole thing works. Director Aaron Schneider, who hasn’t helmed a feature in over ten years, keeps the action fresh, dynamic and engaging, even if you, like me, have no experience with naval jargon. It can be very hard to keep a sense of consistent geography in a film entirely set on water, but Schneider works around the limitations with a technical skill that mirrors the men on screen.

This isn’t destined to be a classic (think Saving Privet Ryan), nor is it aspiring to be, and the modest way it goes about its business is particularly refreshing in an age when runtimes and box-office ambitions seem to have ballooned beyond all reason. It’s a shame it can’t be seen in theaters, but Greyhound still makes for perfect late Sunday viewing, especially for dads.