Greyhound: Aaron Schneider’s war film is very tight, perhaps too much so. The film starts with the action and never lets go, as it efficiently shows the thankless job of escorting a naval convoy during World War II, but little else. There’s no space for character development or exploration: the only one character that gets any chance is the protagonist, and other than his dogged dedication to his job and religiosity, little else seems to matter. That said, the film conveys well the mechanics and the white-knuckled tension of a combat between destroyers and submarines. Performances are low-key and fine-tuned for the needs of the story; Tom Hanks knows how to (on the surface effortlessly) play a stoic, serious, and competent character like this one. Technically, the film is very well-done, without bells and whistles: special effects and sound design are top-notch, and costume and production design both seem very realistic for the time period.
