Following a grueling five-week shift at an Alaskan oil refinery, workers led by sharpshooter John Ottway (Liam Neeson) are flying home for a much-needed vacation. A brutal storm causes their plane to crash in the frozen wilderness, and only eight men (Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney), including Ottway, survive. As they trek southward toward civilization and safety, Ottway and his companions must battle mortal injuries, the icy elements, and a pack of hungry wolves. (1)
Review
Hello, Movie Buffs!
Directed by Joe Carnahan (The A-Team) and co-written alongside Ian Mackenzie Jeffers (Death Sentence), The Grey (2011) is a dark and gripping thriller with breathtaking landscapes, perfectly captured camera work, decent special effects, intense action, and authentic acting. Within this grey atmosphere and pessimistic look at life, there is a message of hope and faith that gives this film an almost beautiful quality.
The story is simple and things begin to take off after the plane crash. The film uses small flashbacks and slip-second scenes as a way to ponder life while the surviving men face their deaths, and it also helps soften up the rough parts of the film. The story also works with emotions and contrasts quite well. This is a story of survival in every way and the wolves each represents a different fear that the men face. For instance, the alpha represents death and since the black is associated with death it is only fitting that the alpha is pitch black as well. Death is the leader of all fears and as the film progresses we see the men running away from their fears, the wolves. But at some point, they catch up with them and each man has to face his fear, just like at some time everyone has to face death and it cannot be outrun.
The cinematography (Masanobu Takayanagi – Hostiles) made this film from the beginning to end you feel the harshness of icy tundra. There was such a realistic feel to the cinematography that brings you into the film. The action is suspenseful and will leave you on the edge of your seat, while the gory scenes are not shied away from. There is danger at every turn and even when you think your heart has the chance to calm down something happens.
The cast performances are great and the dialogue made them relatable. Liam Neeson (The Commuter) is compelling as Ottway. Although he is clearly suffering from depression and is haunted by his past, some of his dialogue is philosophic and sometimes even poetic. The rest of the men struggle with facing their fears throughout the film but at certain times it is clear that they are about to face them. Flannery's (Joe Anderson – Across the Universe) biggest fear is being left out/excluded. Burke's (Nonso Anozie – Zoo & Conan the Barbarian) biggest fear is being alone, in which he struggled with the death of his sister. Talget (Dermot Mulroney – The Mountain Between Us & Dirty Grandpa) biggest fears heights. And Diaz’s (Frank Grillo – The Purge: Anarchy) biggest fear is fear itself. At some point, each of the men faces their fears but the only issue that I found was the language and the outright crudeness of the characters. Although they helped make the characters and gave the film a realistic feeling there were times when felt to be excessive.
Overall, The Grey is an entertaining and thrilling film. While it is not my favorite nor do I think I will see it again, I do recommend it to those who are interested in thrilling survival films.
"Once more into the fray. Into the last good fight, I'll ever know. Live and die on this day. Live and die on this day."
- Ottway
Final Vote
Worth Seeing: 6.8 of 10 star
Worth Buying: 6.8 of 10 stars
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Anaconda (1997)
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
Braven (2018)
The Cave (2005)
Everest (2015)
The Finest Hours (2016)
Flight of the Phoenix (2004)
Jaws (1975)
Jaws 2 (1978)
Jaws 3-D (1983)
Jaws IV: The Revenge (1987)
The Meg (2018)
The Mountain Between Us (2017)
Piranha 3D (2010)
Primeval (2007)
Rogue (2008)
Sanctum (2011)
Shark Night 3D (2011)
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
The Thing (2011)
White Fang (1991)
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