(Maui and Capri, here I come!!! FUCK the Snow!!!)
CAST: Liam Neeson, Dallas Roberts, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Nonso Anozie, Joe Anderson, Ben Bray.
DIRECTOR: Joe Carnahan
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some damn good reasons to stay in the Lower 48 - straight ahead…
IT’S LIKE THIS: I’ve always loved the outdoors - so much so that one of my nicknames growing up was “Indiana Jones”. I’ve hiked mountains and hills in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, the American Great Lakes, and the Pacific Northwest. But that’s still nothing compared to the admirable feat a friend of mine achieved: he actually hiked all the way up Mt. McKinley, the Alaskan mountain that is also the highest point in North America. And another friend climbed all the way up Mt. Whitney in California, which is the highest point in the Lower 48. Stud muffins, both of these guys. There was a time when I told myself I wouldn’t mind climbing either mountain, because it sounds like fun.
Then I saw Liam Neeson’s movie THE GREY. After that, I changed my tune. I was all like: “Fuck. That. Noise. I think I’ll stick to scuba diving for awhile. Sea-level is where it‘s at.”
You see, THE GREY is about what happens when a plane-load of petroleum company workers from the frozen ass-end of Alaska crashes into the, uh, Alaskan mountains. As you can imagine they have to deal with the usual inconveniences: (1) sub-zero temps; (2) cranky fellow survivors; (3) generally unpleasant wreckage conditions; and (4) a shortage of food. Oh, and how could I forget the most exciting bit: they are also smack dab in the middle of the roaming grounds of a bad-ass pack of feral (like there are any other kinds) wolves. Now, folks, I don’t know much about wolves, but according to this movie, if you trespass on their territory, they will relentlessly hunt you - not to eat you, but to kill you for trespassing. Damn. I had no idea wolves were so fucking sensitive about their space.
Anyhow, we’ve got seven survivors from the crash. Remember the tagline from THE HILL HAVE EYES? The one that goes: “The Lucky Ones Died First”? Well, that’s what our seven heroes are about to find out first-hand, because them wolves are mighty pissed, yo. Our fellas are: 1) Otway (Liam Neeson), “strong silent type” who is most likely to survive because, well, the actor that plays him is first-billed; (2) Hendrick (Dallas Roberts), sweet and sensitive hottie whom I was praying - PRAYING - would make it just so he could spread them genes onward; (3) Diaz (Frank Grillo), asshole ex-con who seems certain he will survive (ha ha - good one, dude); (4) Talget (Dermot Mulroney), laid-back hottie whom I was praying - PRAYING - would survive despite the actor playing him being fourth-billed (AKA Kiss Of Death); (5) Flannery (Joe Anderson), the kind of chatty jerk that I often shut down in three seconds flat whenever I sit by him on a plane - which is basically what Ottway does to him here (ha ha - go, Ottway); (6) Hernandez (Ben Bray), dude who’s got some sort of “Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name” thang with Diaz - or am I perv (don’t answer that); and (7) Burke (Nonso Anozie), dude who forgets the should-be-obvious rule that states “you never take a nap in the middle of a raging blizzard (hello?)”.
Seriously, though. This is not the movie you show someone to get them to visit Alaska. Nope. This is the movie you show your mother-in-law if you live in Alaska and she lives in the Lower 48 - and you don’t ever want see her on your doorstep. Trust me - you will never see her face again. Ever.
THE DUDE (OR DUDETTE) MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: Ottway and Hendrik, all the way…
EYE CANDY MOST LIKELY TO FIRE UP A WOODY: Again, Ottway and Hendrik. See same pics above…
MOST INTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: The plane crash scene and the following sequence of the survivors trying to get their shit together. And the scene where Ottway and his buddies first encounter the “wolf pack” - and I don’t mean those dipshits from THE HANGOVER.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY EXCITING SCENE: They’re all intentionally exciting.
HOTTEST SCENE: Ottway squaring off against the Alpha Wolf. Let the beatdown begin…
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Ottway, Hendrick, Diaz, Hernandez, Burke, Talget, and Flannery make it back to civilization in one piece? Or will the wolves get them first? Will a search party find them in time? Or is Ottway right when he says no one will look for them because no one will care if they are missing? What skills does Ottway have that will help them all survive? Or is it all a lost cause? And what’s up with those fucking wolves anyway? It’s not like the bastards have a deed to all that land that says it belongs to them and therefore they have the right to chomp the shit out of anyone who wanders by. Do they?
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH “THE GREY”: If you like brooding wilderness survival films that are surprisingly profound and unexpectedly moving - in addition to being grippingly suspenseful.
WHY YOU MAY NOT ENJOY “THE GREY”: If you like your action/thrillers to be more focused on action and not as much on character. And if you don’t like a high degree of darkness (figuratively speaking) in your flicks - because this is one bleak movie…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Liam Neeson has had a career resurgence as of late, with the success of films like TAKEN and UNKNOWN. These movies portray Neeson as somewhat of a more polished, mature, and European version of Jason Bourne, running amok in European urban settings. With the arrival of his latest vehicle THE GREY, you’d be forgiven for thinking it is essentially TAKEN or UKNOWN, just set in the Alaskan wilderness. How wrong you’d be.
It’s only natural that the marketing for THE GREY would hew towards TAKEN and UNKNOWN’s blend of gritty action and kinetic spectacle. Those who fall for it (and that is majority of the audience) will either be severely disappointed - or receive a breathtaking surprise. Because THE GREY is no TAKEN or UKNOWN. It is much deeper than that. Those films were exciting action-thrillers and not much more. THE GREY, however, is a thriller with some action, but is more focused on the troubled psyche of its protagonists. It is also a somber meditation on the human spirit and its natural instinct for survival and, sometimes, surrender. Quite simply, it is a film of unexpected power.
Liam Neeson’s Ottway is an endlessly intriguing protagonist. Without giving away too much, his character arc is one that you don’t often find in an action/thriller hero. Then again, Ottway is not your typical hero. From the very first opening shot of him wandering alone through the petroleum plant at night, deep in thought, all the way to the very final shot of him taking charge of his destiny, Ottway bristles with intelligence, emotion, and fire. He’s one of Neeson’s best roles, and the remarkable thing is how Neeson “births” him with the fewest but most potent of strokes.
Of the supporting cast, Dallas Roberts is the strongest presence as the decent, kind, and perceptive Hendrick. Roberts looks eerily like Chris O’Dowd from BRIDESMAIDS, and it wasn’t until the end credits that we realized we were mistaken. In any case, Roberts takes ownership of the role and gives us a strong rooting interest in Hendrick’s survival with his very expressive face - which constantly projects a shifting, sympathetic watchfulness. Two of the most memorable images in the film are Roberts': (1) a close-up shot of Hendrick’s face as a single tear trickles down his face after the death of a friend; and (2) a terrifying jump off a clip with a tether that Hendrick courageously makes in an all-or-nothing attempt to save their lives. These shots are also glimpsed briefly in the trailer - and are made unforgettable by Roberts' quiet passion. I’m really looking forward to seeing the rest of his work.
Dermot Mulroney, Nonso Anozie, Ben Bray, Joe Flannery, and Frank Grillo are all vivid in their different roles - with Mulroney and Grillo being the standouts. Each of these men makes his character distinctive and nuanced enough to keep us engaged in their battle for survival - against the elements and the wolves themselves.
Speaking of the wolves, director Joe Carnahan makes them formidable adversaries in very much the same way the Great White Shark haunted the town in JAWS and the Predator terrorized the commandos in PREDATOR. The very first time Ottway’s group encounters the pack is a quietly terrifying scene - and so are the various sequences where the wolves’ presence is more heard than seen. We’ve talked about in past reviews how the unseen can be far more terrifying than what is actually seen. Carnahan makes effective use of that maxim here, hinting at the deadly presence of the wolves through chilling howls and wails - as well as their breaths seen as a phantom fog among the trees. These are vividly scary images that you’ll remember for quite some time.
Special mention should also go to Marc Streitenfeld’s haunting musical score, which is both classy and wrenching at the same time. It perfectly captures THE GREY’s blend of somber and spiritual - especially in the finale. Suffice it so say, this is one ending you haven’t seen before - nor one you’ll forget anytime soon.
In the end, THE GREY is a movie I would gladly recommend. Just be aware that it is not everyone’s cup of tea. For those who can stomach its intensity, it is an ultimately rewarding experience that shows us the different sides of the human spirit…
In closing, please listen to samples of Marc Streitenfeld's lovely, haunting, heart-breaking musical score for THE GREY...
