The Grey

With its endless expanse of wintry white, the cold climes of Alaska have played a prominent part in a variety of features. Although appearing in comedies (The Gold Rush, Mystery, Alaska) and family fare (Balto, Snow Dogs), the oppressive landscape is more commonly associated with thrillers (Insomnia, 30 Days of Night) and survivalist dramas (The Edge, Into the Wild), acting as an unsettling character in many stories nestled within its scenery.

The Grey falls into the latter category, adding action and adventure to the ultimate endurance narrative. However, the film based on Ian MacKenzie Jeffers’s short story Ghost Walker is more than just another energetic survival of the fittest offering, courtesy of a meditative tone and metaphysical leanings. Centred on the persistence of humanity to persevere, it delves into mythology and the meaning of life. Accordingly, the feature tells not only of its seven protagonists’ attempts to overcome overbearing odds, but of mankind’s similar plight.

Amidst the unforgiving wilderness, John Ottaway (Liam Neeson, Unknown) is tasked with protecting oil rig workers from the surrounding wildlife. After his latest shift, he boards a plane bound for home with his colleagues; however the onset of a blizzard sees the aircraft strewn across the snow, and the men marooned in the middle of nowhere. With temperatures below freezing and little food, water or warmth for sustenance, those remaining trek towards safety. Alas, their intrusion into wolf territory is soon made known, with the carnivorous canines swiftly on their trail.

With a cast that includes Dermot Mulroney (J. Edgar) and a scene-stealing turn from Frank Grillo (Warrior), The Grey pits the men against a series of insurmountable obstacles. Whilst the circling wolves and hostile climate comprise the obvious candidates, the film ponders the psychological and philosophical as well as the physical hindrances, including their competing and contrasting coping mechanisms, and individual senses of manhood, morality and spirituality.

Indeed, The Grey offers an extension of co-writer/director Joe Carnahan’s masculine contemplations, as evidenced – with varying levels of success – in Narc, Smokin’ Aces and The A-Team. Wrapped within its man-versus-wild context, it ponders the titular shades of complexity that exist in the actions of men. Its success stems from spirited performances, particularly Neeson at his best since Kinsey, as well as visceral, suspenseful staging. As such, the feature provides a poignant, powerful existential exploration, framed by the fight between civilisation and the environment.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Grey
Director: Joe Carnahan
USA, 2012, 117 min

Distributor: Icon
Rated MA
In cinemas Thursday 16 February 2012