The Grey - Unter Wölfen

This is a gripping survival thriller that transcends the typical genre conventions. Anchored by Liam Neeson's powerful performance, the film unfolds in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness, where a group of oil workers must confront both nature's brutality and their own inner demons after a plane crash.

The cinematography is stunning, capturing the harsh beauty of the snow-covered landscapes and creating a palpable sense of isolation. The film skillfully explores themes of survival, loss, and the primal instinct to live against all odds. Neeson's character, Ottway, provides a compelling focal point as he grapples not only with the external threats but also with his own existential struggles.

The tension is relentless, enhanced by a haunting score that complements the visceral intensity of the narrative. The wolves, both literal and metaphorical, become a symbol of the characters' internal struggles and the inevitability of death. The character dynamics are well-developed, adding emotional depth to the suspenseful plot.

The movie stands out in the survival genre, offering more than just adrenaline-pumping action. It delves into the human psyche, making it a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant cinematic experience. With its evocative storytelling and Neeson's compelling performance, Moreover, it is a gripping exploration of the thin line between life and death.

Just a few comments about this Jack Londonesque movie. Beyond the surface this movie harpoons the great competitions of man versus man, man versus nature, man versus God and man versus himself. What the director was able to accomplish in this raw film is an inspiration. A man evolving from suicidal tendencies, a man who protected life but initially cares little of his own, revealed his true flesh of wanting to live. The ethereal remembrances provided a cloudy peek into his pain. The parallels of the pack of wolves and the pack of men within the indifferent universe. Oh my fellow watchers this visceral movie gives us hope, purpose and the untethered pang of raw survival. To rage against the cold, while the hungry wolves that lurk in our souls attempt to devour us. Those that rate this movie poorly lack the honed taste of organic storytelling. Shakespeare throughout this movie. Enter the Gray with fortitude and alacrity and your poem will write itself. Well done.

If you're like me you saw the trailers with Liam Neeson strapping glass bottles to his hands and fighting wolves and thought, "Holy cow! They made Wolf Taken. Violence and wolves!" Well, they didn't. There's really not that much action in the film. The trailers really, really did a dis-service to the film. They were selling an action movie when they really made an intensely somber film about a group of desperate men as they try to survive a plane crash. The film is quietly beautiful.

I saw it in theaters and was hopping mad at how the trailer misled me. People all over the theater fell asleep (my girlfriend included). However, I think if you're looking for a non-action flick, you'll really dig this.

I'm surprised to see the number of negative reviews here and also surprised as to the number of comparisons to Lee Tamahori's 'The Edge'; a completely different type of film in my opinion despite the similar locales. Unrelentingly bleak with almost no glimpse of warmth ( both literally and figuratively!) during the whole running time it's easy to see that this film will not be for everyone. The absence of a heroic ending and the depiction of the absolute fragility of man (and futility of machismo) will also serve to divide audiences even further. But, if you can get past these things and can overlook a couple of plot points that might seem illogical you are in for one heck of visceral cinematic ride. The story is simple - Liam Neeson is a distraught widower contracted to shoot Wolves in the Alaskan oil fields. On a flight to the mainland for R&R the plane goes down in the middle of nowhere and he and six other passengers are the only remaining survivors. The motley group must contend with a grim situation that see's them dropped in a freezing barren wasteland with no food, shelter or weapons and a pack of hungry Timber Wolves keen to pick them off one by one. I liked the AO Scott review for this film in which he pointed out that the film posed and answered a number of theological and existential questions in a very quiet and dignified way. Quite un-Hollywood. This is no Tom Hanks picture and unlike the aforementioned The Edge it's never for a minute considered an option for the men to make a stand against the Wolves in the way that Charles and Bob did with Bart the Bear in that film. They are completely at the mercy of the environment and it's predators whilst also being aware of the increasing futility of their plight. The film goes against the grain right from the outset and it's a stylistic decision from the creators that simultaneously elevates it above many of it's counterparts but also probably limits it's broader appeal - an early scene immediately after the crash where Neeson comforts a dying man is one of the most powerful and beautiful pieces of acting I've seen in recent years. To summarize, I found the film a very intense watch and it stayed with me for long time afterwards. Surely the hallmarks of a great picture?

Those who Go Into this Liam Neeson Flick Expecting Fisticuffs, Gun-Play, and Action Tropes Leave Mostly Disappointed.

Some Actually Hostile at the "Trailer" for Misdirection and Neeson for Signing-On to this because it's NOT THAT.

It's a Macho-Man-Movie All the way with Females Only Glimpsed through a Few Flashbacks, and Memory Laden Remarks around the Numerous Fires...

Used as Shields Against a Pack of Wolves that Already Attacked and Devoured 1 of the "Human Pack" that have come in Close-Contact to the Wolves Den.

Herein Lies Bones of Contention...

Many "Experts" on Wolves and their Behavior state LOUDLY and Angrily that the Wolf-Pack in this Film do Not in Anyway Behave Like Real-Life Wolf-Packs...

If that's a Fact and You Can Not Suspend Disbelief Enough to Enjoy the Film, and Chalk it Up to "Artistic-License" than Stay Far Far Away from this "Tale".

On the Other Hand, it is a Bleak Psychological Study of Men Under Extreme Threat at the Hands of Ravenous Monsters and the Wrath of Mother Nature.

Images Stripped of Color, Signifying an Unforgiving Atmosphere on the Path to "Hell".

It's Engaging, Suspenseful, "Out-There" Entertainment with an "Edge", that's...

Worth a Watch.