CREDIT: WARNER BROS. PICTURES
The 33 is the true story of 33 miners rapped in an underground Chilean mine in 2010.

NEW WESTMINISTER – Many people should remember the 2010 incident when 33 miners were trapped underground in a Chilean mine. Viewers across the world held their breath as rescue efforts were underway, and a collective cheer went up when, 69 days after they were trapped, the miners were saved. It is a miracle that they all managed to survive. The 33 tells their story.

The movie is spectacular. The story is absolutely heart-wrenching with the ups-and-downs of hope and despair. I wasn’t the only person trying to hold back tears during the movie. I think a large part of this had to do with the actors, including Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro and Juliette Binoche. They did a wonderful job of appearing really genuine, and certainly pulled at the heartstrings.

The screenplay was faithful to the actual events, perhaps only bending a couple of things to make it a movie, for example the lighting in the mine. The miners’ headlamps lasted longer than they should have, but that is most likely due to the fact that we would be unable to see what was going on in the movie if they had cut off all light. But these changes aren’t significant enough to question the legitimacy of the plot or to quibble over.

The 33 is definitely a movie worth watching, and is all the more moving for the true story it is based on. I felt a connection to it because I was one of the people who was holding their breath as we waited for the miners to be rescued. It truly is a miraculous story.

Rating: 5 out of 5