The Grey

The Grey (2011)

Director: Joe Carnahan

Cast: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo

Remember a long time ago when I wrote how B+ horror movies, like Insidious and Orphan, are solidly paced and solidly scary, but receive little attention or acclaim? My point was that B+ movies, horror or otherwise, have a niche, too, and need our love and support,even if they don't warrant immediate recognition from audience or critics (critics, bah!).  The reason is these movies are more likely to stand the test of time than many other films that were popular and supposedly iconic this past decade, but which are also B+ movies in quality and content. These uber-hyped movies have since withered away into pastiche and no one really watches them anymore, like one-hit-wonders or that popular jock from high school who now works at a mattress store (I actually know a guy). The one's that immediately come to mind are many of the Best Picture Winners: American Beauty, Crash, A Beautiful Mind, Slumdog Millionaire and The Hurt Locker. These mediocre movies can go straight to hell via the river Styx forever! Goodbye overblown mediocrity!

The Grey is a B+ movie that will likely gain more attention and praise as the 21st century progresses, and the reason is because it features so many classic film conventions in addition to many literary motifs as well. Obviously a film doesn't need literary motifs to be great, but it certainly needs a universal theme that can transcend the fact that -- let's say-- it's an airplane disaster wilderness survival flick with wolves starring Liam Neeson opening in January. But The Grey is that movie and a killer thoughtful and touching piece, something that Slumdog Millionare never achieved! (Clearly I hate Slumdog Millionaire, however, impending review of Boyle's far superior Sunshine coming soon).

First of all, the reason The Grey is only B+ is because it refuses to delve too deep into these universal themes, which is ironic I guess, depending on how you look at it. In the beginning we get Liam Neeson kneeling in the snow with a shot gun to the face, stopped at the very last minute from killing himself. Why is he so sad? We don't know why he's sad except that he has a daydream of  his hottie wife looking at him in bed. No matter. He boards a sketchy plane with a group of blue-collar workers which crashes (awesomely) in the middle of the frigid Alaskan wilderness. The remaining survivors are soon faced not with starvation or cannibalism ala Rugby team circa 1972 (RIP!), but rather with ferocious territorial wolves who lure each member into a gory death one by one. Therefore, what we have is a classic man versus beast saga, with abundant ubiquitous allusions to the similarities between the men and the canine beasts.

Let's just agree that this movie has some pretty sick scenes, like when My Best Friend's Wedding (Dermot Mulroney, I know) must zip line (shimmy) from a cliff to a gigantic tree a hundred feet off the ground, or when one member bleeds to death after the crash and Liam Neeson effectively consoles him into the light. We also get some promising actors, like the guy who plays Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Game of Thrones (RIP Daxos!). The movies also features a beautifully catchy Irish verse which is relevant to the story's conclusion, evokes the title's namesake, and is also an original piece, not some trite reference to a famous poet. (SPOILERS AHEAD) If you recall, the trailer featured a scene where our hero is about to engage in a battle to the death with a wolf, but the conclusion of this scene is not provided. By the end, do we really need it? Is there any question who will win? The answer is no. It is understood that Liam Neeson escaped a cowardly death for a noble demise, therefore experiencing life (and death) to the fullest. 

A final reason this film will stand the test of time is because Neeson recently lost his wife to a tragic skiing accident and has most likely drowned his grief in his work, as evidenced by the multiple movies he's starred in in the last few years. With The Grey, Neeson obviously channels some inner demons into his powerful and hypnotizing role, so when the Academy finally gives him his due of a life time achievement award many years from now, guess what? The Grey will also come out victorious once again.

B+