The Grey (2012)

Is it too early in the year to call that something is probably going to make my Top 10 of 2012? I hope not, but on the other hand, if there are 10 other movies that come out this year that are better than "The Grey," I'll just call myself a lucky S.O.B., and pat myself on the back because I called it back in December that 2012 is looking to be an unbelievably good year for movies. This my friends, is a good start, and the question "will 10 better films be made this year" is the kind of thing that makes me excited just thinking about.

The thing I don't understand is why on Earth is Liam Neeson not huge? I'm talking Johnny Depp (but not annoying) huge. Mel Gibson (but before he went crazy) huge. Marlon Brando (but not fat) huge. I swear that this guy is the single most charismatic actor over 50 around right now, and I don't understand why he's not more popular than he already is. When you say "Liam Neeson" people usually respond, "Oh yeah, the guy from "Taken?" Yeah, he's pretty cool." That's not acceptable. Liam Neeson's name needs to be on the lips of every single person who watches movies, because he deserves it, and his name alone should be worth $200 million in the box office -- to start.

AND WHERE THE BLOODY HELL IS HIS OSCAR?! Do you have ANY idea how many amazing roles this guy's done? Only one nomination for "Schindler's List" back in 1993? Please. That's an insult to a guy who could take anyone in Hollywood to school. Give me a name. Liam's just as good, if not better. Sean Penn does NOT need another Oscar. Why don't they give it to the greatest actor to ever come out of Ireland? And while we're at it, give one to Sean Bean, too! He's runner-up!

Also, if he's not doing books on tape, he needs to. Listening to his voice is like having sex in your eardrums, it's unreal.

So what if I'm sporting a total man-crush on the dude? I apologize for nothing!

He's a dreamboat.

In "The Grey," Liam Neeson is a guy working for an oil pipeline in Alaska, and his job is to work like a sharpshooter, protecting workers from any wolves that may attack them. So when the plane he's on with a bunch of workers crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, right in the midst of a pack of killer wolves, it's probably a good thing he was along for the ride. At first it seems like it will be a survival movie, but it isn't long until the wolves show up, and from there it essentially becomes a slasher flick as the survivors get picked off one by one.

WASSUUUUUUUUUUP!!??!?!

It's a bloody movie, as one might expect. The violence is brutal and savage, and there were a couple moments that elicited a hardy "OH! DANG!" from me as somebody become a nice freshly made corpse. But it never came across as gratuitous, in my opinion. It's just that it's really effective. This isn't like Jason Voorhees thinking up new ways to creatively kill you with various pointy objects. They're wolves. They eat stuff. They kind of have a one track M.O.

To be fair, it was impossible to not nitpick it a little. "The Grey" does hit a bit of a speed-bump about halfway through when we get a lot of character background in a couple talky scenes. It's good stuff, but it kind of diffused the tension a bit since I'm thinking "Umm...have we forgotten about the wolves? You guys sure are chatty for people being hunted." Also, their survival technique may not have been the best. Why don't they ever attempt to build shelter? Why do they sit with their backs to the woods where the wolves are coming from? Why don't they climb a tree since wolves don't freaking climb? Where's Les Stroud when you need him?!

"Ya'll chill. I got this."

"The Grey" is a movie that should be stock. It should be an average, by the numbers story about survival that you've seen many times before. And at its core, it is. This is not an original or a groundbreaking story, but what makes "The Grey" shine is the way it is presented and told. By utilizing phenomenal camera-work and set design, the scene is set to show a very cold, harsh and brutal climate in which the characters are forced into, but the editing of the film, along with the moments when we enter Liam's head/subconscious, serve to place us in another world of almost surreal quality. The landscape is dangerous to begin with but with "The Grey" we may as well be on another planet. It's almost Aronofsky-esque, which is a HUGE compliment.

What will stick with me most about "The Grey" are the absolutely gorgeous shots that are some of the most striking visuals I've ever seen. The best among them include the first time the wolves appear. Coming in from the darkness, we see only one pair of glowing eyes at first, then another, and another, and before long they are filling the blackness beyond the dim torchlight. One of the survivors, unable to go one step more, sits down to die beside a river beside a sprawling Alaskan mountain range, and as the camera very slowly zooms in on the back of his head, as he silently contemplates the end, off in the distance is the very faint sounds of something coming for him from the woods. A crest of a hill at night as wolves howl from just beyond the ridge, with only their breath visible as it slowly rises up, and we can only guess at their numbers by the plumes of steam appearing.

O hai.

All of these scenes are just positively chilling to the core. I mean, when was the last time in a horror movie you knew the villain was coming because you saw their breath in the frigid, winter night air? Brrrrrrr! That's scary stuff!

And what's best about those scenes is that it showcases what I loved most about "The Grey," which was its subtlety. You don't need to see the wolves. You hear them. And since the film does enough with establishing the fact that they could be anywhere at any time, the tension is essentially never broken. It's like the shark in "Jaws." You didn't need to see the shark to know that it's out there in the water. And like "Jaws," this movie played its hand pretty close to the chest, and only pulled out the wolves for a good reason.

The sad part is that this is pretty standard stuff for a suspense film. These are not ancient secrets long buried and forgotten. This is film making 101, but so many movies like this would be far more upfront and obnoxious with hitting you over the head with either the gore or the "monsters" in fear of having the audience grow bored, and that's a bunch of crap. Just see the 2011 prequel to "The Thing" (actually, don't see it) for absolute proof that not having subtlety is absolute death for suspense. Otherwise you're banging pots and pans around going BWARGARBLRAGH!!!! And that's just annoying.

What's great about "The Grey" is that it's a movie that's not afraid to NOT show something, and let the audience fill in the blanks and do some work, which is far more effective in the long run. And that's what subtly is all about.

Pictured above: Taping knifes and broken bottles to your hands. In other words, a standard Irish wedding.

One thing that may annoy people is the ending. You know what? If you hate the ending, shut up. It's great. It ends on the absolute climax of the main character's emotions, at the end of his journey, the defining moment of his life, and not a second more is spilled over. In that way it's like the closing frame of the first "Rocky." It's a fantastic ending.

Once more into the fray...
Into the last good fight I'll ever know...
Live and die on this day...
Live and die on this day...

That about says it all.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I was blown away by "The Grey." Unless 10 better films come along, this is making my Top 10 of 2012. Very Highly Recommended, although a liking of "different" movies will be helpful since it is slightly unconventional. Fans of Darren Aronofsky do not want to miss it.