The Grey is a dark gritty tale of human endurance that sees Liam Neeson in one of his better roles as of late.
The film, based on the Ian Mackenzie Jeffers short story “Ghost Walker” - who also shared co-writer duties with Carnahan, is the story of a small group of social outcasts, drunks and felons, whose plane goes down in the cold and desolate Alaskan wilderness on their way home from a stint on the oil rigs. The men are soon forced to fend for themselves, not only against the harsh weather conditions, but against a pack of murderous wolves, who at times seem larger than life.
Neeson stars in the role of Ottway, a sharp-shooter hired by the oil rigs to keep the men safe from marauding wolves and other beasts of the Alaskan wilds, whose personal demons rival those of the seemingly demonic wolves who aim to eliminate the stranded riggers.
The beautiful scenery and majestic surroundings of the film are courtesy of Carnahan’s choice to film the movie on location in British Columbia, and is captured by the sublime talents of cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi of the 2006 Oscar winning feature Babel.
There is a scene shortly after Ottway awakens after the plane crash where upon searching for survivors amongst the wreckage, he coaches an injured man through the process of death. The descriptions provided here through the dialogue, as well as the gritty camera technique capture the urgency and desperation in the scene, one that leaves an extremely haunting memory in the mind of the audience going forward into the rest of the film.
Carnahan does a great job of assuring the wolves, as the main antagonists of the film, are larger than life. Instead of relying on computer generated imagery, he utilizes trained wolves, puppets and men in wolf suits to help bring the sheer horror surrounding these bloodthirsty beasts to the big screen.
The film is more than a survival film, but more of a divulgence into the human psyche, and the depths of the human spirit. Its sober tone throughout has audiences on the edge of their seats, with a chill that runs through the core.
The Grey is a dark gritty tale of human endurance that sees Liam Neeson in one of his better roles as of late.
The film, based on the Ian Mackenzie Jeffers short story “Ghost Walker” - who also shared co-writer duties with Carnahan, is the story of a small group of social outcasts, drunks and felons, whose plane goes down in the cold and desolate Alaskan wilderness on their way home from a stint on the oil rigs. The men are soon forced to fend for themselves, not only against the harsh weather conditions, but against a pack of murderous wolves, who at times seem larger than life.
Neeson stars in the role of Ottway, a sharp-shooter hired by the oil rigs to keep the men safe from marauding wolves and other beasts of the Alaskan wilds, whose personal demons rival those of the seemingly demonic wolves who aim to eliminate the stranded riggers.
The beautiful scenery and majestic surroundings of the film are courtesy of Carnahan’s choice to film the movie on location in British Columbia, and is captured by the sublime talents of cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi of the 2006 Oscar winning feature Babel.
There is a scene shortly after Ottway awakens after the plane crash where upon searching for survivors amongst the wreckage, he coaches an injured man through the process of death. The descriptions provided here through the dialogue, as well as the gritty camera technique capture the urgency and desperation in the scene, one that leaves an extremely haunting memory in the mind of the audience going forward into the rest of the film.
Carnahan does a great job of assuring the wolves, as the main antagonists of the film, are larger than life. Instead of relying on computer generated imagery, he utilizes trained wolves, puppets and men in wolf suits to help bring the sheer horror surrounding these bloodthirsty beasts to the big screen.
The film is more than a survival film, but more of a divulgence into the human psyche, and the depths of the human spirit. Its sober tone throughout has audiences on the edge of their seats, with a chill that runs through the core.
