Plot: John Ottway (Liam Neeson) works for an Alaskan oil company keeping wolves at bay with his rifle. Suicidal and bereft of hope after losing his wife, Ottway finds a new sense of purpose when the plane carrying him and the oil workers back to civilization crash lands in the middle of nowhere. Freezing, starving, and harried by wolves, Ottway embarks on a journey to save a small group of men before time runs out.
Review: Once more into the fray
Into the last battle I'll ever know
Live and die this day
Live and die this day
This is the poem that mid-way through The Grey Ottway reveals to the men that his father had on his wall as a child. The poem is fitting a metaphor for The Grey, a powerful, gripping, and philosophical film that works on every level. I haven't been able to get this poem out of my head since I saw The Grey. Moreover, I haven't been able to get The Grey out of my head either.
Without question this is director Joe Carnahan's (Narc) finest work. In a brisk 117 minutes he provides a beautiful tapestry of existentialism that is riveting to behold. Carnahan balances brutal violence (the wolf attacks) with poignant philosophical discussions between the men (what does it mean that they survived the plane crash, what in their lives is worth fighting to stay alive for). Rarely have I seen an exposition that distills what it means to be alive portrayed on film.
Along with Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, Carnahan also co-wrote the screenplay which is based on the novel "Ghost Walker" by Jeffers. The dialogue rings true throughout The Grey and manages to capture the speech of regular working class joes. At it's base The Grey is a philosophical discussion about survival in a world where nature is merciless. Both screenwriters also manage to make nature into a very real character.
Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi is to be commended. The beautiful and epic scenery he captures in The Grey is picture perfect. Furthermore, it enhances the overall sense of cold that Carnahan wishes to convey in this film. Although Jeffers and Carnahan envision nature as a character, it is Takayanagi's camera work that brings that character to life. He also captures the scenes where wolves attack and personal camp fire discussions with equal aplomb. Marc Streitenfeld's harrowing and beautiful score complements Takayanagi's work nicely.
Carnahan has a perfect supporting cast in The Grey as well. Frank Grillo is strong as John Diaz, an oil worker who resents Ottway and contradicts him at every turn. Dermot Mulroney is equally good as Talget, another oil worker who believes that a cosmic reason is the explanation for why they all survived. Mulroney's character's attitude is a nice balance to Grillo's cynicism.
Neeson is the real star of The Grey. A true tour de force of acting, this is Neeson's best work since Kinsey, maybe even since Schindler's List. His performance is so nuanced and fascinating that I couldn't tear my eyes from the screen. Whether it was telling Diaz to put a wad of money back from off of a dead corpse, describing his drunken father, or angrily shouting at God, Neeson's Ottway doesn't disappoint. It's too bad this film wasn't released later in the year because I absolutely believe it is Oscar worthy.
The Grey rates as the best film I've seen so far this year. It's imagery, message, and acting performances are going to stay with me for quite some time.
My rating: 10/10
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