This is a pared back, survivalist tale where man versus both the elements and some of nature’s efficient killers. Liam Neeson is Ottway, a sort of ‘minder’ and guard for a workforce of roughnecks working in the far reaches of the Alaskan wilderness. A plane carrying Liam and most of the workers, en route back to civilization, crashes spectacularly ( a well staged crash) in the frozen wilderness and only seven men survive. They have no food, no weapons and no idea where they are located. For a variety of cogent reasons, it is decided that there is no point staying in the wreckage and waiting for a rescue plane. One of the most pressing reasons is that they have crashed within a 30 mile radius of the den of a large, aggressive pack of wolves who begin hunting the survivors down one by one.
Now you can forget wolves like ‘Two-socks’ who kept Kevie Costner company in ‘Dances with Wolves’. These lupine lads are twice the size of ‘Two-socks, 100 times more aggressive and relentless in their hunt.
Liam spots a tree line a long way across the snow and they set out to try to reach it in the hope it will offer some protection and perhaps eventually lead to some habitation.
While primarily focusing on the storyline ie the standard action / adventure conundrum of who will live and who will die as the flight, fight, fear and tension unfold, this movie intermittently strays into existentialist territory. I liked a particular scene where as night falls the men have made a large fire, to both stave off freezing and hopefully deter the wolves. One of the survivors, a feisty and fiery character named Diaz ( Frank Grillo) has bridled at Liam’s assumption of authority and self appointed role of ‘leader’ from the start. They hear an unearthly howling all around from the pack, ( genuinely creepy shot of the circle of wolves’ eyes reflected in the firelight ) followed by growls and snarls and sounds of a fight. Liam explains that the Alpha wolf, has been challenged for his leadership by a younger wolf and has probably killed the challenger in the ensuing brawl. Suddenly Diaz erupts in fury and screaming and brandishing the only knife they have, challenges Liam to a fight for leadership of the human ‘ pack’.
I thought all of the main protagonists handled their roles well. The inhospitable harshness of the elements, and the ceaseless primeval fear of the wolves at one turn seemed to bond the men, whose only shield against both threats was each other. But then the strain of it would begin to drain away their humanity and they would carp and snipe and snarl among themselves.
One hint – if you sit through the credits ( and sadly I mean ALL the credits right down to who made the coffee ) of this three star tough little tale, there is a final scene shown that answers how it ends. Perhaps only 5 or 6 seconds of film, but……………..
The Grey- between black and white lines
Summary:
This is a pared back, survivalist tale where man versus both the elements and some of nature's efficient killers.
This is a pared back, survivalist tale where man versus both the elements and some of nature’s efficient killers. Liam Neeson is Ottway, a sort of ‘minder’ and guard for a workforce of roughnecks working in the far reaches of the Alaskan wilderness. A plane carrying Liam and most of the workers, en route back to civilization, crashes spectacularly ( a well staged crash) in the frozen wilderness and only seven men survive. They have no food, no weapons and no idea where they are located. For a variety of cogent reasons, it is decided that there is no point staying in the wreckage and waiting for a rescue plane. One of the most pressing reasons is that they have crashed within a 30 mile radius of the den of a large, aggressive pack of wolves who begin hunting the survivors down one by one.
Now you can forget wolves like ‘Two-socks’ who kept Kevie Costner company in ‘Dances with Wolves’. These lupine lads are twice the size of ‘Two-socks, 100 times more aggressive and relentless in their hunt.