Film: The Grey
Cast includes: Liam Neeson (Taken), Dallas Roberts (Walk the Line), Frank Grillo (Warrior), Dermont Mulroney (Zodiac)
Writer/Director: Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama (2012)
Ottway’s job with big oil takes him to the “end of the world”… a harsh, frozen Alaskan outpost. “I’m surrounded by men who are unfit for mankind… ex-cons, psychos, assholes,” he says. “Not a second goes by when I’m not thinking of you in some way. You left me and I can’t get you back. I don’t know why I’m writing this.” (We see visions of a lovely young woman… Ottway’s wife, we figure out.) Ottway’s job is to protect the drilling site from wolves… mostly by shooting them… and he’s very good at it. But on this day, Ottway is thinking of turning the gun on himself. “I’ve stopped doing this world any good.” He changes his mind, and the next day he and the others board a plane for home.
It’s a rowdy bunch, and the trip promises to be unpleasant, at best. When they hear an explosion, they know it’s not the usual turbulence. While everyone else fastens their seatbelts, Ottway takes his off. So, when the plane crashes into a mountain of snow, Ottway is thrown clear. That probably saved his life because most of the others are dead or dying. There are 6 other survivors, but they don’t have time to feel good about being alive. “We need to find anything that can burn and start a fire. At daybreak, we’ll figure out which way is south and start walking,” Ottway tells them. Wait a minute… “Nobody nominated you for shit!” But when one of the men is brutally killed by a wolf, the others temporarily decide to follow Ottway’s lead. After all, he does know a thing or two about wolves. For example, we all know about the alpha wolf… the leader. But sometimes the omega wolf is more dangerous… that’s the outcast. As the survivors attempt to band together, it’s obvious that Ottway is the alpha… or trying to be. The problem is that the rest all seem to be omegas.
Liam Neeson has had quite a run of big-money action films lately, and I wasn’t really planning to see this one. While I’m a fan of Neeson, his talents don’t warrant watching another poorly written film just for the explosions and visual effects. But this one seemed to be getting positive buzz. As it turns out, it’s a well thought out story with effective plot details and relatively believable dialog. The cinematography painfully captures the brutality and the danger. (The wolves are computer generated, and they’re not so realistic… but I can certainly appreciate the challenges.) This isn’t a feel-good movie, but you’ll figure that out pretty quickly. It’s relentlessly brutal. At times it explores what helps men face unrelenting danger. Some of the men think it’s faith in God. Ottway believes it’s thinking of better times. Another possibility could be teamwork. But these men are mostly omega wolves, and they’re as unpredictable as the dangers they face.
3 popped kernels
Non-stop danger from arctic cold, aggressive wolves and senseless quarreling
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R
Primary Audience: Young adults
Gender Appeal: Macho
Distribution: Mainstream wide release
Mood: Somber
Tempo: Zips right along
Visual Style: High-end production
Character Development: Engaging
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure entertainment
