Apnea.nl - Movie - Phoenix Blue (2001)

Revieuw by Rik Rösken

Rick Erhard (James Murray) is a successful musician. He succeeds to conquer the world with his songs under his pseudonym "Phoenix Blue", but his past withholds him to come out in the open. Slowly, he tries to find out who betrayed him in the past, but that does implies he have to defeat the security of his manager, Persha Lovich (Amanda Donohoe).

Music is not Rick´s only passion. Is other activity is free diving. He even sings about free diving and that fact is used by the investigating journalist, Rachel (Emily Hamilton), who is searching for his identity. With the assistance of the freedive magazine "Freediver" and her neighbor Ralph (Jason Hughes), she embarks on a investigation. This brings her to Grand Cayman island, where a certain "Rick Erhard", a known artist from the past, is competing in at a freediving competition.

The movie Phoenix Blue knows several different beautiful scenes, with also few underwater scenes where free diving, or something like that, plays a role. The combination of music and freediving is an intresting one, to try tell people why freediving is such an personality changing sport. It changed Rick from a drugged artists to a world reknown singer.
While the intention of the movie does proof it worthwhile to watch, one might wonder why it haven't got the attention that it should deserve. Perhaps it is to the 'television' serie feeling one might get, or that the just the idea of a unkown world reknown singer is just a bit too much... Any way, while it isn't a top of the hill movie, it might be intresting to see on a saterday afternoon. But be forwarned, you would want to wish yoursself in those waters who belong to anyone after the movie.

And on a side note for those who are searching for the music of the movie. The "real" Phoenix Blue of the movie exists of Jeremy Randall, Stephen W. Parsons and Francis Haines. Many of the songs are written and performed by the band formed around Jeremy Randall. Their band, Widescreen gives regular performances in the region of London. The song Tailspin, which is also heard during the movie, is released on CD and can be found at Amazon.co.uk.

Thanks to Jeremy Randall himself who notified me of the information.

Music can also be found at the site of Stephen W. Parsons.

The DVD

Phoenix Blue is a British production from Little Wing Films and released in 2001. The movie that was seen took 89 minutes and a new DVD is released at the 25st of October that can be bought at major outlets as Amazon.co.uk.
This specific DVD's offers except the movie only a stills gallery, accompanied with one of the songs. While this is on avarage quite little, it might be understandable when taken in to account that the movie didn't quite hit the cinema straight.

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Update: 22 November 2004