Sat-mat

Not sure how good this is … the last film about the plane crash was quite prescient … how someone is vilified for pursuing the truth … let’s see with this one:

Review

What struck me as unusual was how in-depth the writers went with their fictitious plans. I'm not saying that Eddie Davis (who also directs) and Charles Savage get the theory of atomic fusion correct - I'm not a rocket scientist, so I wouldn't know. But what they do give the viewer is a logical and credible story. 

For example, in the opening scenes, we watch a man staggering down streets while another follows close behind: When the man collapses in the street, his tail rifles through his pockets. The next thing we witness is a police car pulling over, and the man's rushed to the hospital. Most writers wouldn't think to have the tailer lift the injured man's identity. It's a small thing, but the pleasure is in the details. 

And the writers keep those tiny specifics coming. It places the story above your average cold-war thriller, making it more enjoyable. 

One downside is the characterisations - The men are strong and capable - The women need the men. It's a pity as one of the leads is a female doctor. However, the writers fail to imbue her personality with the traits a woman required in the 1960s to claw and climb her way up to the head of her chosen field. She should be strong, confident, resilient, and driven. 

Sadly, Dr Paula Stevens is none of these. As such, she becomes a slight non-entity, a piece of eye candy to fall for the dashing hero, Dave Pomeroy. 

Another letdown was the panic. Apart from a select few, nobody else knows they should be trying to get the hell out of dodge. It probably came down to budgetary issues, but there is a distinct lack of people losing their heads. And that is sad because it would have added a greater emotive power to the narrative and extra interest for the audience.