Rating: 
Summary: DELIGHTFUL BONE-CHILLER
Review: When Dead Calm's promotional editor warns you to "Try to Stay Calm," believe me when I say you're not up to the challenge. If this one doesn't shock you, you better get your girlfriend to check your pulse. The story is simple: Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill hit the ocean for some quality time together to forget the auto accident that claimed their only child. Kidman is barely there at first--she was driving when their son was killed and suffers from overpowering sorrow and guilt. When the couple floats up on a disabled ship with only one surviving passenger--Billy Zane--they take him aboard, unaware that they've just taken in an angel of death. From this point on the terror mounts relentlessly as Kidman and Neill struggle to deal with Zane and the hellfire he brings with him. Eventually separated, the husband and wife must dig deep within themselves just to stay alive. The great cast makes what could have been a routine B-movie work. Kidman is particularly outstanding as the emotionally vampirized young wife who slowly evolves into a strong woman who can rescue her man when she needs to. Neill, one of the industry's most underrated performers, is stalwart and professional as always. Zane gives Anthony Perkins a run for his money as the psychotic young man who can only destroy what he doesn't understand--everything. A marvelous dish of cold chills, Dead Calm is highly recommended to anyone who loves a good, intelligent scare.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: I'm like a lot of people in that I first discovered Nicole Kidman when I caught this gripping Australian thriller on cable. Though I had initially low expectations for both the film and the actress, both delivered the goods and then some. Dead Calm is that rarity amongst thrillers -- a suspenseful, scary film that actually engages the viewer and sticks in the mind after the final credits role. The plot is admirably simple and straight forward. Sam Niell and Nicole Kidman play a married couple mourning the death of their son (who dies in the film's first few minutes -- though you can see the development coming miles away, both the direction of Phillip Noyce and the performances of Neill and Kidman make the death into a realistic tragedy as opposed to a mere plot device). Looking to escape their grief and save their marriage, they board their sailboat (Neill's character is a Naval officer) and take a vacation from society. After a few days at sea, they pick up a desperate castaway (Billy Zane) who claims to be escaping from a disease-stricken pleasure cruise... This is a film that works despite of, rather than because, of its plot. Many of the character's actions don't make much logical sense... In the hands of a lesser cast or director, these flaws would certainly have meant the death of any other film. However, the talent here is all top notch. Phillip Noyce manages to emphasize how isolated his characters are without making the film itself feel overly stagy; the viewer feels the story's claustrophobia without ever feeling cramped themselves. The film's cast does a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life, despite the inconsitencies inherent in the plot. All of them are familiar enough faces that the audience feels like they know them even as the fast-paced plot unfolds but none of them are such huge stars that they seem impervious to harm. Sam Neill, of course, has made a career of playing well-meaning, upright men who have to prove themselves stronger than they might actually appear and he does an excellent job in this film. Billy Zane has always had a rather irreverent attitude to his film work and while that has kept him from becoming a major star, it makes him perfect as the film's villian. With his jittery nervousness, Zane manages to make the audience laugh without ever making his character seem to be less of a threat. It is perhaps the ultimate compliment that a film psycho can be given in that the audience enjoys his time on screen and are just as happy once he's gone. However, the film truly belongs to Nicole Kidman. Whether her character is being petulant and casually flirtatious or terrified and victimized or finally displaying an unexpected iron-clad will as she battles with Zane, Kidman is never less than riveting. Her character is a difficult one and not all of her actions add up but, through Kidman's fascinating and magnetic performance, none of that matters. After years of being overshadowed by her marriage to Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman has only recently been acknowledged as a talented actress and radiant star in her own right. Those of us who were lucky enough to see her in Dead Calm -- years before she became Mrs. Tom Cruise -- already knew that.
Rating:
Summary: Stay Calm, Cool, And Collected
Review: Before Nicole Kidman catapulted to international fame, Sam Neill faced the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, or Billy Zane took a ride on Titanic, and director Philip Noyce helped action hero Jack Ryan, they all collaborated to make Dead Calm a memorable thriller. After Rae (Nicole Kidman) and John (Sam Neill) Ingram suffer the devastating loss of their child, the couple decides to take a sailing trip, in the hope of dealing with the tragedy. Once on the high seas, the pair discovers a disabled cruise vessel, with a lone survivor on board. It seems that the the rest of the passengers died mysteriously. John stays aboard the ghost ship to try to get her working again, while Rae tends to the welfare of Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane). Little does the couple realize that Warriner is not exactly as friendly as they are led to think--putting both of them in considerable danger. It's pretty amazing that the film is as taut as it is, given that, the film's plot is a simple one and that it only centers around three characters. Noyce makes great use of confined spaces and settings. Kidman is great as Rae. She proved just how talented she is, even back then, holding her own agaist Zane's chilling psychotic portrayal. Zane, who has had an up and down career, gives what I think is his best performance here. And for his part, Neill is good too, considering he has to act alone through most of the movie. The film does lose a few points for resorting to a well worn tricks for some of the climax. However, by then, your hooked, and it shouldn't (?) matter too much. Save for the film's theatrical trailer, the DVD offers, no other bonus material. Given, what has happened to the principal actors and the director since, some sort of retrospective or commentary would be nice...in the future perhaps? Viewers can watch the movie in either the full-screen or widescreen formats. Dead Calm is a fine thriller, that despite a few hiccups, is recommended. The small cast is the reason to watch this one
Rating:
Summary: Nicole Kidman will fetch your eyes
Review: The first few minutes suggest Polanski's "Knife in the Water" with harbingers of the Coleridge poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." But this is a film with its intent squarely on the box office; and, aside from the riveting Nicole Kidman, whose sensual vitality dominates the film, nothing so interesting materializes. Nonetheless the tension is nearly unbearable even though it's all predictable: the idyllic couple aboard their yacht alone on the open ocean take on a psychopath whose ship is sinking. Well, we can see he's a nut case from the first grin, and our only thought is, keep him away from your wife! So naturally the husband, played with leading man true grit by Sam Neill, leaves her alone with him while he pokes around in the other vessel with anticipated horrific consequences. The close ups on Nicole Kidman's face are so intense you can feel her skin and almost smell her breath. She proves to be quite an actress as she wrestles with the psycho, played with such fidelity by Billy Zane that I found myself repeatedly urging her to shoot the sickie. As the situation rapidly becomes impossible for our heroic couple, we realize that it's all very stagy, and upon further thought, fake; yet the intense photography, the seemingly veracious nautical business, and the fine acting by all, plus all that water, make it almost real. Very far out from reality however is the final scene where psycho-boy comes back to life, so to speak, and then-well, watch it and see. Incidently, it is interesting to compare this Nicole Kidman with the one seen nowadays. Clearly she has matured and become more shapely; but I wonder, has she lost some intensity? Regardless, she is a charismatic, hard-working, very serious actress who may eventually have a career to match, say, Jane Fonda or even Shirley MacLaine.
Rating:
Summary: a very memorable suspense thriller
Review: I watched this movie on cable on one of the less popular movie channels, and was pleasantly surprised to find it such a good one. Nicole Kidman was obviously somewhere at the beginning of her Hollywood career when she acted in this. She is refreshingly simple in her appearance, and her acting is superb - she is so expressive and she looked every bit the part for each scene she's playing. I can see why Hollywood decided to make her a megastar after performances like this. All 3 of them - Nicole Kidman, Billy Zane and Sam Neill were all fantastic actors in this film, which is also why this movie succeeds in being such a good suspense thriller. Its not too long a movie, and you can be sure you'll be holding on to your seat throughout the whole thing! Billy Zane isn't always at his best in all the movies he acts in - those of you who've seen him in other movies would know this by now - but in this gem of a movie, he really shines as an ultra-convincing psycho. He didn't overact or overplay his role and that's what made him so believable as the charismatic, charming but unpredictably mentally-twisted person his character is. Strange that I've always liked Billy Zane as an actor even though its so difficult to find him in a good movie nowadays... this is one movie I will never forget because of its great storyline, great acting, and its unique setting where almost everything takes place on a yacht drifting and drifting along in the sea... its all very nice.
Rating: 
Summary: Sexy Saturday Afternoon Movie!
Review: I thought this was a great movie. Nicole Kidman in here younger days, I was actually frightened at some scenes. However, I do love movies set at sea
Rating:
Summary: 4-and-a-half Stars .... A Good Thriller
Review: This early Nicole Kidman film was a pleasant surprise to this writer. It's a well-told tale of a triangle at sea, involving a man & wife (Sam Neill, Kidman) and a slightly (or maybe a little more) off-center stowaway (Billy Zane) that the couple picks up when Zane's own craft experiences difficulties. It soon becomes apparent to Sam & Nicole that this guy isn't quite what he seems. There's some snappy dialogue here, to accompany the gorgeous scenery, plus some very tense moments aboard the two vessels we see in the picture. (And Nicole's no small potatoes herself in this late-'80s production.) :) The DVD of this movie is quite nice (IMO). Good, crisp, clear images, where every single drop of water/perspiration can be individually seen donning the crazed Zane, who is oft-times filmed in close-up here. The DVD features both Full Screen and Widescreen 2.35:1 (16:9 Enhanced) versions on the 2-sided platter. The Widescreen variant is by far the best way to view the film, however (as with EVERY motion picture). There's one shot in the film that is particularly effective, I thought, in Widescreen...a long overhead shot where we see both of the sea vessels in question as they approach each other slowly, one on the far left of the Widescreen frame, and the other on the very far right. Coupled with the beautiful background and rippling water of the ocean, this camera shot would make an ideal wallpaper for your computer (if one could only find a way to do it). A great shot for the DVD Player's freeze-frame at least. "Dead Calm" is definitely worthy of a spot in anyone's DVD library.
Rating:
Summary: The Original Survivor
Review: Released in 1989, this low-budget film is remarkable for several reasons. Most obviously, it was Nicole Kidman's first leading role, which she handles brilliantly. At 20, we can already see the star quality and intensity of concentration that distinguishes much of her later work. As Rae Ingram, she hits so many levels from adoring wife to loving and then grieving mother, seductress, warrior, and survivor. The special effects at the beginning of the movie where the child is flung through the windshield, while emotionally unpleasant, are well executed. As the plot mechanism which leads John & Rae into the dead calm cruise, what follows with the struggle with Hughie Warriner effectively puts the grieving out of mind. Sam Neill as John Ingram does a great job of playing the loving husband, grieving father, and skilled naval officer who winds up stranded on a sinking boat and must use hits wits & skill to survive. Billy Zane as Hughie seems to enjoy letting loose as the crazed killer on the high seas. Australian director Phillip Noyce would later go on to make several big-budget features with Harrison Ford, "Clear & Present Danger" & "Patriot Games." "Dead Calm" was the feature that first got Hollywood's attention for him. He does an amazingly masterful job of crafting an intense, sometimes too intense, experience on the boat that not only holds our attention but rivets us to the outcome. As I see the ads for the "Survivor" series on television, this film is kind of like the original "survivor" with Kidman being the million-dollar winner. Last but not least, the dog is a real character in the piece and one of the cutest of canines. "Dead Calm" is amazing because they accomplished so much with so little. When Zane's head finally lights up at the end, we breathe the final sigh of relief. U snooze, U lose with this diamond in the rough. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Better than the imitations.
Review: I could go on and on about this one. One could theorize that the whole movie is actually a product of Kidman's mind. One could bring up the fact that the couple has sailed out to the metaphorical calm waters to get away from the insanity of the things that have happened in their life only to have insanity come rowing a boat out to meet them and now they (specifically her) must learn to deal with that insanity. That's getting a little deep, so I'll stick to what I know. Kidman and Neill are trying to get over the tragic loss of their child by sailing out to the middle of nowhere to get away from things. They run across a sinking schooner which has only one survivor (Zane). He rows out to them and climbs aboard. Neill, out of curiosity, rows over to the sinking ship to find out what happened. This leaves Zane and Kidman on the boat...alone. I think what I wrote about accepting the insanity is pretty accurate as Kidman, in order to survive, feigns a relationship with Zane when she realizes that her life is in danger. Neill discovers what really happened on that boat and most of his story becomes trying to catch up with Zane and Kidman. Metaphors aside, this is a good movie. The screenplay is taught. There are no scenes where you think to yourself that this is totally unnecessary. Everything establishes character or advances a situation. Neill's desperate struggle to get to the boat and his resourcefulness are real highlights. The DVD doesn't really add too much, but I still recommend it for those who care about the quality of picture. It looks awesome on HDTV. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: STUNNING PERFORMANCE FROM A YOUTHFUL KIDMAN
Review: In Dead Calm Nicole Kidman portrays a young wife who joins her husband (Sam Neill) for an extended sea voyage, presumably to heal from the loss of their child. During the trip they encounter an abandoned ship and subsequently the quite psychotic Billy Zane. What ensues is suspenseful and frightening. This was Kidman's first major role and her screen presence at only age 20 foreshadowed a promising career. Kidman looks like the fresh-faced, near-teen she is and Neill looks every bit of 40, but sheer talent somehow makes it all work. Billy Zane absolutely chews up the scenery in his over-the-top portrayal of a madman. Compelling performances; quite good.
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