The Grey. It’s great. Watch it. There are (spoiler) wolves that (spoiler) eat people! Cinematically! The occasional narration and flashbacks in the story didn’t entirely sit well with me right away, but the strength of the rest of the acting, set pieces, sound work, and general grim relentlessness were spot-on. I think maybe you can even argue in favor of the bluntness of the voiceover writing. We’re so used to heroes being accomplished, superlative, clever, admirable. This is kind of a regular guy, down and out and swallowed in his own drama. How many people have written a good diary entry, literariness-wise? Who, in those circumstances, would be self-conscious enough to turn out new insights and artisan memories? No, you get by on what you have with you.
I didn’t think about that stuff much when I was watching the movie, though. I was already having too much fun. Other movies I’ve seen recently that involve the protagonist in a man vs. canine situation: The Hunter, White Dog, The Bourne Legacy. Man vs. cat? Life of Pi.
Mark Larson 