A Glimpse of Hell (2001)

Director: Mikael Salomon

Writers: Charles C. THompson II, David Freed

Composer: David C. Williams

Starring: James Caan, Robert Sean Leonard, Daniel Roebuck, Jamie harrold, John Doman, John Benjamin Hickey, Dashiell Eaves, Hugh Thompson, Alan C. Peterson, Bill MacDonald, Ken James, John Dunsworth

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Tragedy. Cover-up. Truth.

Plot: A Navy officer tries to set the record straight after the Navy blames a 1989 explosion aboard the USS Iowa on a homosexual affair between two sailors.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

The reviews I've skimmed point to a lot of inaccuracies.  I don't know jack about this incident or Naval procedures so all I've got is what the film tells me.  As a movie it does a pretty good job a laying out the build-up to the accident that killed 40 crewmen, the Navy's investigation and ending with the senate hearing.  The performances by the leads are good as is much about the picture but there's something missing that makes this compelling although I'm not sure the film makers were going for a film that rivets your butt to the seat.  Let's just say 'it is what it is'.  Easy cop out, right?  While it's not a home run, it does offer an interesting story and a nice ending by way of Caan's performance sitting in the hot seat during the hearing.  You get a glimpse into his struggle which gives the picture the finish it needed.  Fans of TRAILER PARK BOYS show will like seeing John Dunsworth even if he doesn't offer any shit-isms.  The 20th Century Fox DVD offers an anamorphic widescreen print and the only extras are non-anamorphic widescreen trailers for DON'T SAY A WORD, THE DEEP END, KISS OF THE DRAGON and a fullscreen trailer for SEXY BEAST.  Really?  Fucking fullscreen?  Geez!