The Grey

Plot

A group of oil drillers are headed to Anchorage on a corporate flight when their plane goes down in remote Alaska. Seven men survive the crash, and soon find themselves the target of a pack of wolves. The men now must contend to not only their wounds, but the elements, and the man-eating wolves that seem to be toying with them, and taking them one by one.

Direction

The direction from Joe Carnahan was quite lovely at times, especially pairing the beautiful Alaskan wilderness, with the wild nature of not just man, but nature too.

Some of the CGI was a little disappointing, one such moment was when the characters are zip-lining from a cliff to some trees, the ‘background’ seemed quite fake. Considering the wolves seemed mostly CGI –

Cast/Characters

Liam Neeson plays Ottway, the sharp shooter hired to protect the oil workers from the hazards of nature, whose wife has just passed. He becomes somewhat of the leader of the group, as the remaining survivors are either too young for the challenge and lack the maturity, or to immature in their adulthood.

Some of Neeson’s dialogue, especially early in the film of his immense loss, and immeasurable suffering he is feeling feels all the more real considering this is the first movie he made following the death of his wife Natasha Richardson.

Other survivors are Dermot Mulrooney as Talget, Frank Grillo as Diaz, Dallas Roberts as Henrick, Joe Anderson as Flannery, Nonso Anozie as Burke and James Badge Dale as Lewenden.

Screenplay/Setting/Themes

Survival is the primary theme, with the men faced with a horde of threats around them.

That they survived the plane crash is extraordinary on its own, but the sub-zero temperatures that they are dropped into becomes another key danger around them – and even is the cause of one of the survivor’s deaths midway through the film

The primary danger is of course the pack of wolves that ascend onto them – with the ‘alpha’ becoming the primary antagonist against Neeson’s Ottway.

They continually play mind games with the humans – going as far as following them, and to a more graphic extent ‘playing with the victims’ as they kill them – giving them an almost anthropomorphic feel to them.

I had a few ‘holy moly’ moments. I was on the edge of my seat. One in particular was when the pack of wolves presented themselves in the dark. All their eyes shone in the moonlight. It gave a deep sense of unease and was done well.

Life and its fragility is one thing I found a constant presence. The departed men’s wallets become a significant object that the survivors want to carry. As the group dwindles, these become more important to the survivors. their whole lives (photos, notes to loved ones etc) are confined to their wallet, and this becomes quite touching.

Overall

I quite enjoyed the dramatic elements of the film. The ‘life of man’ felt like the primary theme. The man versus wolf conflict became a secondary theme.

The long discussed finale of the film has been argued to have missed an epic battle. I honestly believe not seeing it made the film more realistic. This choice bettered the end result. A very strong recommend.

4/5