The Grey

[Beate]

Don't all shout at once...

[cinefila1]

No, I'll be going to the lovely Mayfair Hotel...

[TheBoySeggy]

Don't all shout at once...

I got a last minute ticket for Lee Valley, but as I'm still at my desk at work... that's not happening

[tilly]

Anyone seen this?

[yogi]

I expected a monster movie with a dash of realism, but it's more like The Way Back with added wolves. It does get a bit far fetched at times, but I liked that it was played fairly straight.

Liam Neeson is good and there's some good jumps/scares. Overall a decent film.

[Beate]

First of all I'd like to apologise for being the latecomers at Mayfair Hotel about 17 minutes in. But I hope we weren't too disruptive, and we found aisle seats very quickly, even though there was no usher to be seen anywhere.

We were actually booked for Odeon Greenwich but OH told me on the phone that they were advised it wasn't happening. He couldn't tell me much more so I got on the bus from the station as quick as I could. Someone there then told us there was a problem of some description with the film and they wouldn't be showing it, nor had they got another preview date lined up, but they gave us all vouchers. Beautiful 3D vouchers valid everywhere including the West End, and the expiry date field was left empty so I guess I can take my sweet time using them?

While we were there waiting for an explanation, I hit the phone, and I struck lucky very soon. Yes, cliveas was at Mayfair. Yes, it was happening. Yes, he even had two spares. The only bone of contention was the new starting time of 6.30pm. I have been moaning about their 7pm starting time forever, but the very moment I needed it, they had put it back. So OH and I practically hurled ourselves across London, not thinking for a minute that we would make it, but at the end of the day, missing quarter of an hour isn't that much in a long film.

And it felt long. And I wasn't happy about all the noisy wrinklies around us, which is my main reason for not liking that screening room too much. It makes me ageist, and I don't want to be ageist! The bloke next to me continuously took his reading glasses off then put them back on, then rummaged in his backpack for sweets, then very noisily unwrapped them and shared them with the wife, to whom he happily chatted now and then. And the same came from behind. Oh yes, and a phone went off for ages in our row until it was finally switched off.

The film was not a disaster but ultimately unsatisfying with an ending that left you wanting more and quite disappointed. You didn't really get to know the guys before [spoiler]they perished one after the other[/spoiler], except to find out they all had family of some description. The saving grace for me was Liam Neeson, who dominated the screen in every scene and outshone everyone else. It was a bit bloody though, and Mr Sweetwrapper next to me nearly crapped his seat every time the music went BOOM or a wolf suddenly appeared.

So it gets a 7/10.

Thank you so much to cliveas for saving the evening!

[fetta]

This was first class masochism. I can only compare it to a roller coaster, but instead of safely arriving at the end you get thrown off it.
Still can't think straight so can't judge it, have no idea if it was good or not, maybe in a couple of hours I'll feel better.

[funthing29]

While we were there waiting for an explanation, I hit the phone, and I struck lucky very soon.

Is that why I had a missed call from you?

LOL, were you ringing everyone in your phone book?

[Beate]

While we were there waiting for an explanation, I hit the phone, and I struck lucky very soon.

Is that why I had a missed call from you?

LOL, were you ringing everyone in your phone book?

No, only FMUK people...
I couldn't for the life of me remember who had said they would be at Mayfair! But it pa*d off!

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

I sure wish they had a bigger budget for this because it might (just might) have made this film a magnificent one instead of being just great.

The main story of a bunch of airplane survivors having to confront wolves and trying to survive is just a surface layer one. The real underlying theme of the film is about the interpretations of life and death. Its tremendously soul reaching. The film is a poem much like a Terence Malick film except here your patience is not tried so heavily. The poetic grace and direction of the performances are flawless, emotional and captivating.

I am rather torn about how I feel with the action scenes, though. There are plenty of it...but it is clear there was no budget to show the action in detail so reverts to shaking the camera close up on someone's jacket. Now when I see these scenes I am frustrated because I cant see what the hell is going on and I desperately want to. But then I think, at the same time I like how they keep the wolves out of sight to retain a more menacing and mystique presence which is actually terrifying. However, the lack of visual flair for these action scenes are nearly compensated for the excellent use of sound effects to induce fear into the audience, and pretty much works on me as my feel my blood chilling at the sound of the wolves. There are several jumpy moments and none are false alarms. After some reflection, I probably prefer the way they have done the action here rather than they do a half-butted attempt to use CGI. Its like Spielberg's Jaws would have never have been so frightening if the mechanical shark did work. Less is more as they say but this certainly wont satisfy the horror enthusiasts that's for sure. You can make up your own mind when you see it.

But the real heavyweight in the film is Liam Neeson. He gives a beautifully commanding performance that literally elevates the film's stature. Often in the movie we get a voice over narrative from Neeson's character's thoughts (again much like a Terence Malick film) for which his delivery is ever compelling.

There's not much else to say about the film but it speaks to everyone, those with a faith, those who dont believe in afterlife, atheists, and neutralists. What ever your stance, the film allows you to interpret proceedings in your own way but it is really about how the individual protagonists themselves interpret their life, their faith or lack of, their beliefs and death, while trying save their butts from some very scary wolves.

Also, I found the chemistry and banter between the survivors enjoyable. There are the usual stereotypical characters, as you would get in your standard horror fare, a natural leader who luckily knows a great deal about the dangers they are about to face, the rebellious nutter who doesnt accept the natural leader, the followers, the annoying guy who is bound to bite the dust first. Yeah, the film doesnt depart much from those cliches but I dont think that's a negative in my book to be honest.



This is very intelligent film making on I suspect, a low budget but very very effective, very moving and one that will linger in the mind after watching it.



One more thing MAKE SURE YOU STAY TO THE END OF CREDITS! You will be rewarded.



8.5/10 (upgraded from 8 because the film is still lingering in my thoughts!)

For those of you who didnt stay to the end (practically most of you, I reckon) and were not happy at the end for some reason and want to know what the end credit sequence was, here you go:

[spoiler]The camera pans to the dead body of the wolf but no sign of Liam :)[/spoiler]

I am so glad I always stay to end of credit for every film, I watch :) Oh by the way, I saw this at Streatham Odeon, its much closer to me, sorry I didnt join the normal fmuk party in Greenwhich