THE GREY
Liam Neeson stars in producer/director Joe Carnahan's tense adventure thriller about a group of tough-as-nails oil rig workers who must fight for their lives in the Alaskan wilderness after their airplane crashes miles from civilization. With supplies running short and hungry wolves closing in, the shaken survivors face a fate worse than death if they don't act fast. Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, and Frank Grillo co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Joe Carnahan
Cast: Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Joe Anderson
Release Date: Jan 27, 2012
Rated R for bloody images, violence/disturbing content including bloody images and for pervasive language
Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
The Grey is and isn’t a complicated film. On its surfaces it’s a stripped down survival story. Looking a little deep you’ll find that Joe Carnahan is working with some Hemmingway-lite themes and subject. The allegory is symbolism is fairly obvious but never overbearing. It’s got an almost metaphysical feel to it while its plot plays out like a nature version of The Warriors or Neil Marshall’s recent Centurion. Carnahan delivers a piece of filmmaking that’s brutal and pensive at the same time. At its center is Liam Neeson at his weatherworn gravelly best. Making the character Irish lets the Neeson focus on his character which is the most realized of the group of survivors. The supporting cast, including a nearly unrecognizable Dermot Mulroney in a quiet yet effective role, does the best they can with limited characterization. It’s one of the film’s most obvious failing, if they’d given the supporting players more life the life and death situations would have achieved a far more potent effect. Carnahan shoots a lovely film, using the winter landscapes to establish a strong sense of isolation, matched with some incredibly effective creature effects for the wolves who feel truly menacing throughout. The Grey is the kind of film that feels like could be easily forgettable after you’ve finished watching it but after it settles it does leave an impression.
B-
I really liked The Grey but for me it was a good cinema film and that's it! It isn't going to make the dvd collection any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on making Neeson Irish as he cannot do an America accent to save his life and when he tries it is really distracting
Despite the cutout characters there were some good little tense moments scattered throughout the film
Think that airplane crash has stuck with you for the long run ;-)
DeleteIt's funny because in the early parts of the film I kept thinking to my, God Neeson American accent is terrible.
This was before they mentioned he was Irish. There are some really good scenes of tension. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would to be honest.
Pretty much agree with you, though I liked it slightly more than you. The only letdown for me was the ending, simply because I desperately wanted to see Neeson beat the shit outta that wolf :)
ReplyDeleteYeah I hear you man, would have liked to see that too but in the end it would have ended the same, Neeson was in a no win scenario, thought the ending gave him the coolest way out, on his terms, you know.
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