Umizaru (2004)

Another pleasant surprise from the Japanese cinema. What I like the most about Japanese movies is its unpredictable line of events, and in this movie, once again, you can never guess what will happen next. I was always expecting a scene like Baywatch - which would make me turn off the TV - but it never happened :) The movie itself was shot in a simple but efficient way, no amazing and special tricks here, although the picture had nice detail and quality. The soundtrack could be better though, you can hardly notice it. The actors perform OK and pass on a great feeling of "team building" and the intensity between each "buddy", however they did seem a bit too young for the jobs.

The plot evolves in a very steady way showing a different perspective of the typical military training. This movie moved me with its funny moments (typical Japanese), a few intense sad moments and, for people afraid to drown and of being breathless, the movie will have a few moments of anguish and uneasiness too! All in all, I'd say you can watch it with anyone any time.