Movie Review: Survivor skills unfold in 'The Grey'

The action-thriller film "The Grey," currently on view at the Fandango Galaxy theaters in Carson City, is a stark story of men in wilderness and their efforts to survive.

Liam Neeson is the de facto leader after a jet carrying oil field workers crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. It is directed by Joe Carnahan, who also directed 2006's "Smokin' Aces" which was set at South Lake Tahoe and filmed inside MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa.

The film opens with John Ottway (Neeson) picking off a wolf stalking an oil crew with his sniper rifle. That's his job — protect the oil crews from the wolves. Ottway has a few drinks and goes out with the intention of shooting himself, but the cry of a wolf convinces him to return to his ailing wife (Anne Openshaw). He is observed having his final drinks by a member of the oil crew going home.

After severe buffeting, the jet crashes and most of the passengers are dead. Ottway survives and rounds up the others who are alive. They spot a wolf ravaging a dead woman from the jet and chase it off.

Ottway takes over and the survivors huddle in the remains of the jet's fuselage, starting small fires. There are six survivors and Ottway prompts them to hike to the tree line in he distance. Meanwhile, the wolves continue to harass the men.

The march is demanding and when they reach the trees the gather and build firriest. Disagreement breaks out with John Diaz (Frank Grillo) threatens Ottway. But the men stay together as one of them freezes to death, and one by one as they struggle to reach a river they can hear with the idea of following it to civilization they die.

Finally after crossing the river from a high bluff they start their trek. Again the fight weather and wolves and Diaz with an injured knee gives up, handing his wallet to Ottway to go with the others collected from the bodies of the victims.

In the closing scene Ottway fears he will die from the wolves who surround him. He makes a kind of cairn of the wallets he had collected and includes his own, along with a farewell letter he had written to his wife when he contemplated suicide.

The wolves surround him until the Alpha male appears; the pack slinks away as Ottway prepares to do battle with the Alpha. Closing scene is Ottway and the wolf's bodies in the snow.

Mostly a well done, intense story. Neeson is strong as the leader and the rest of the cast is at the same high level. Direction by Carnahan is tight, sticking to the story line with precision. It's not a "date" movie but it is a fine if grim story. Viewers need to suspend disbelief at times (sitting round an open fire in fierce cold with open collars and no gloves, and very nice hand torches for the night scenes are a little much). But this is not your usual adventure story — no happy ending, no real love scenes. And given the climate in Hollywood for explosions and car chases it's surprising that such a movie could get produced.

Just the hint of love story, a few bows to icy reality and true grit included. It's enough to make our local back country skiers think twice or more.
— Sam Bauman

Cast
• Liam Neeson as John Ottway
• Frank Grillo as John Diaz
• Dermot Mulroney as Talget
• Dallas Roberts as Pete Hendrick
• Joe Anderson as Todd Flannery
• Nonso Anozie as Burke
• James Badge Dale as Lewenden
• Anne Openshaw as Ottway's Wife
• Jacob Blair as Cimoski
• Ben Bray as Hernandez

Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Produced by: Joe Carnahan, Jules Daly, Mickey Liddell, Ridley Scott
Screenplay by: Joe Carnahan, Ian MacKenzie Jeffers
Based on Ghost Walker by: Ian MacKenzie Jeffers
Music by: Marc Streitenfeld
Cinematography: Masanobu Takayanagi
Editing by: Roger Barton
Running time: 117 minutes, rated R