Above and Beyond (2006)

Above and Beyond is a Refreshing Story of Heroism without Glitz

Above and Beyond is about the critical period in World War II before the United States entered the war. Germany had just taken France. The U-boats were dominating shipping across the North Atlantic. The air war over Britain was pressing the British to the edge. Against this backdrop, a few brave souls in Canada and Britain work to fly planes across the Atlantic to avoid the U-Boats--something never previously attempted. This is their story.

What is different about this film is the focus on character development along with a simple plot. The primary location is a remote airport in Newfoundland where everyone knows everyone and displays a small-town ownership of problems and life in general. The key participants in this drama are special only in their willingness to rise to the improbably difficult task in front of them. The matter-of-fact sensibilities of the people as they confront serious logistical challenges reminds me of The Grey Fox (1982)--another really fine Canadian film.

I loved the film. I hope that you will too.

Stephen
October 14, 2007

Informative and a pleasure to watch

We caught only a part of this movie on TV, so my husband asked if I could find it on DVD. This is a story of WWII that many of us in the States have never heard before. It is so refreshing to get a good movie without the historical aspect being terribly skewed to fit the hunger for "action" films. I enjoyed watching it, but my husband is the one who will not part with it, and says he will keep it for his library. His comment was that he wishes there were more films along the same lines. History, personal emotional upheavals, and last, but not least, some wonderful scenes of airplanes you now go to museums to see. August 6, 2007

Absolutely Fascinating- Must See!

What a wonderful delight. I am an avid history buff and was very surprised to find a huge story of WW2 that I knew nothing about. This movie details, with great charm, the perilous mission of flying new American made planes from Newfoundland to Ireland - a risky move that shortened the delivery time from 10 days to 10 hours. The venture was responsible for turning the tide of the war. The acting is first class and includes stellar performances by Kenneth Walsh, Richard E. Grant and the inimitable Joss Ackland as Churchill. Sluggish at times and with poor digital animation of the planes (they only found one Hudson plane so had to computer generate the rest). Aviation buffs may notice some errors, but it doesn't detract from the overall quality of the film. It will take two nights to watch, so be prepared with lots of popcorn. Truly one of the more interesting films I have ever watched and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Definitely a must for getting teens hooked on history - includes a love story for the girls and lots of macho danger and adventure for the boys. June 6, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...