The Grey (B or 3/4 stars)
'The Grey' (directed by Joe Carnahan) is an epic man vs. nature adventure film - where a vicious pack of rogue wolves seek to kill their human intruders. The story strands 7 male characters in the midst of Alaska's wilderness, and it shows that ... when faced with what seems to be insurmountable obstacles to survival, we humans tend to become philosophical. And it also shows that: though someone's drive to live could be faint, sometimes the desire 'not to die' is bigger.
The film opens with a prologue that introduces us to Ottway (Liam Neeson), a markman who makes his living shooting wolves to protect workers assembling pipelines. Through flashbacks, we see that he has lost the love of his life. And in his current state, he seems morbidly depressed. At one point, he put the barrel of his rifle to his mouth, but does not pull the trigger (instead, he's distracted by the howl of distant wolves). Instead of trying again, he boards a plane with dozens of other pipeline workers (most are ex-cons). The plane crashes. And Ottway is one of 7 survivors. After gathering some rest & recovery, Ottway leads the 6 other men on a trek through the wild towards hope of rescue. He's convinced that if they had remained at the plane, a pack of wolves would have gotten them - a concern that proved itself with a man named Hernandez. Yet trudging through blizzards, squalls, & other elemental surprises keeps their hopes dim.
The group's small numbers dwindle, & the wolves sense more opportunities to strike. 4 characters are developed well-enough to seem more than wolf prey. Neeson is the Alpha male of the group, obviously. The irony of his situation is what I spoke about earlier - his will 'not to die' is stronger than his will to live. For 1/2 of the film, it looks like Diaz (Frank Grillo, of Warrior) is going to be the 'bad guy' in the group, but the script thankfully gives him much more dimension as the movie wears on. Henrik (Dallas Roberts) acts as Neeson's right hand man. And then there's Talget (Dermot Mulroney), a low-key guy who carries the weight of the wallets of all the men/women who died when the plane crashed (or thereafter). Everything culminates in a harrowing one on one fight btwn. a major character & the Alpha wolf. And the screen goes to black before we know the fates of some key players.
'The Grey' has a lot in it to satisfy your typical action/adventure viewer: profane oil-drill roughnecks, beautiful-yet-desolate locales, mortal injuries, merciless weather, starvation, hostile terrain, angry wolves, etc.. And yet, there's an art house sensibility that rails against the rah-rah mainstream aspects that usually coincide with a film of this ilk. It's an introspective film. Contemplative -- poetic, even. As time goes on, and situations get more & more dire, the various characters have existential thoughts & discussions on faith, God, & how to face death when it's staring you in the face. And yet, by no means is the film boring. Just because there isn't much action (there isn't) doesn't mean that you won't be riveted or horrified by what's going on {I was peeking through my fingers constantly}.
The last 10 seconds of the film are going to annoy some viewers. But if you think about it, the "cutting to black before the climactic fight" actually gives us a faint measure of hope that something remotely positive could come out of a nearly impossible situation. Chances are that what occurs after the screen goes black is wholly tragic. But we are left to decide if something remotely good or catastrophic will happen. Liam Neeson not only nails the sad, world-weary physicality of a character like Ottway, but he also tackles a defiant "I won't let the wolves win!" emotional charge that we all look for in a heroic protagonist. There's a powerful monologue he gives near the end that nearly had me in tears. And it's the best performance he's given since his nominated role in 'Schindler's List' some 19 yrs. ago. All the other performances are authentic, stellar, & offer verisimilitude of their situation.
Though 'The Grey' has a predictable & portentous one-by-one kill-off plot that is standard in film's like this, it is a surprisingly good movie; surprising, because its strengths are stronger than the usual weaknesses in films of this type. i.e., the plot ventures into profound existential territories; the character dialogue is realistic; what happens to these men (literally & on a spiritual level) is realistic. That said, it is a brutal sit. Grim, too. You certainly won't want to run & watch it again anytime soon, if ever again. 'The Grey' shows us that even in the most despairing situations, the will 'not to die' can be strong. But it also may not be enough.
The film opens with a prologue that introduces us to Ottway (Liam Neeson), a markman who makes his living shooting wolves to protect workers assembling pipelines. Through flashbacks, we see that he has lost the love of his life. And in his current state, he seems morbidly depressed. At one point, he put the barrel of his rifle to his mouth, but does not pull the trigger (instead, he's distracted by the howl of distant wolves). Instead of trying again, he boards a plane with dozens of other pipeline workers (most are ex-cons). The plane crashes. And Ottway is one of 7 survivors. After gathering some rest & recovery, Ottway leads the 6 other men on a trek through the wild towards hope of rescue. He's convinced that if they had remained at the plane, a pack of wolves would have gotten them - a concern that proved itself with a man named Hernandez. Yet trudging through blizzards, squalls, & other elemental surprises keeps their hopes dim.
The group's small numbers dwindle, & the wolves sense more opportunities to strike. 4 characters are developed well-enough to seem more than wolf prey. Neeson is the Alpha male of the group, obviously. The irony of his situation is what I spoke about earlier - his will 'not to die' is stronger than his will to live. For 1/2 of the film, it looks like Diaz (Frank Grillo, of Warrior) is going to be the 'bad guy' in the group, but the script thankfully gives him much more dimension as the movie wears on. Henrik (Dallas Roberts) acts as Neeson's right hand man. And then there's Talget (Dermot Mulroney), a low-key guy who carries the weight of the wallets of all the men/women who died when the plane crashed (or thereafter). Everything culminates in a harrowing one on one fight btwn. a major character & the Alpha wolf. And the screen goes to black before we know the fates of some key players.
'The Grey' has a lot in it to satisfy your typical action/adventure viewer: profane oil-drill roughnecks, beautiful-yet-desolate locales, mortal injuries, merciless weather, starvation, hostile terrain, angry wolves, etc.. And yet, there's an art house sensibility that rails against the rah-rah mainstream aspects that usually coincide with a film of this ilk. It's an introspective film. Contemplative -- poetic, even. As time goes on, and situations get more & more dire, the various characters have existential thoughts & discussions on faith, God, & how to face death when it's staring you in the face. And yet, by no means is the film boring. Just because there isn't much action (there isn't) doesn't mean that you won't be riveted or horrified by what's going on {I was peeking through my fingers constantly}.
The last 10 seconds of the film are going to annoy some viewers. But if you think about it, the "cutting to black before the climactic fight" actually gives us a faint measure of hope that something remotely positive could come out of a nearly impossible situation. Chances are that what occurs after the screen goes black is wholly tragic. But we are left to decide if something remotely good or catastrophic will happen. Liam Neeson not only nails the sad, world-weary physicality of a character like Ottway, but he also tackles a defiant "I won't let the wolves win!" emotional charge that we all look for in a heroic protagonist. There's a powerful monologue he gives near the end that nearly had me in tears. And it's the best performance he's given since his nominated role in 'Schindler's List' some 19 yrs. ago. All the other performances are authentic, stellar, & offer verisimilitude of their situation.
Though 'The Grey' has a predictable & portentous one-by-one kill-off plot that is standard in film's like this, it is a surprisingly good movie; surprising, because its strengths are stronger than the usual weaknesses in films of this type. i.e., the plot ventures into profound existential territories; the character dialogue is realistic; what happens to these men (literally & on a spiritual level) is realistic. That said, it is a brutal sit. Grim, too. You certainly won't want to run & watch it again anytime soon, if ever again. 'The Grey' shows us that even in the most despairing situations, the will 'not to die' can be strong. But it also may not be enough.