Jimmy Chin and\u00a0Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi<\/span>\u2018s captivating, BAFTA-nominated documentary The Rescue, the new film sees veteran director Ron Howard mount a gripping dramatisation of the story, complete with an A-list Hollywood cast that includes Colin Farrell, Viggo Mortensen and Joel Edgerton.<\/p> Opening with a largely Thai-language sequence that sees the boys enjoy a worry-free game of football before they go exploring, the film goes on to cover the story in its entirety \u2013 from the initial incident that saw the team trapped, right through to the hazardous mission to get them out. Along the way, we\u2019re frequently reminded just how against the odds a potential escape was, while we also see the effect the incident had on the local community \u2013 with many turning to prayer in an attempt to boost the chances of survival.<\/p>\n
The difficulty with films like these based on inspirational true stories is that they can sometimes end up feeling a little mawkish and cloying, with screenwriters and directors over-sentimentalising \u2013 and in some cases over\u2013glamourising \u2013 the true stories in an effort to create a Hollywood-ised version of events. But Thirteen Lives admirably avoids this pitfall; it\u2019s a nicely restrained film that pretty much stays faithful to the events as they happened, even if some of those events seem too far-fetched to be believed.<\/p>\n
While Howard himself can take a good deal of the credit for that, the rather understated performances from the cast are also essential in keeping the film grounded. In the lead roles, Farrell and Mortensen are superb as John Volanthen and Rick Stanton \u2013 the unassuming British cave divers whose courageous exploits helped prevent tragedy. Both actors brilliantly get across the everyman qualities of these unlikely heroes, neither of whom was used to the world\u2019s attention. The dynamic between the pair is very convincing, with Volanthen presented as the more optimistic foil to the slightly grouchy Stanton.<\/p>\n