I have a troubled relationship with comic actors gone serious.
It seems as though Robin Williams movies are becoming more excruciating
with each release, and I've only just begun to forgive the makers
of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks & director Robert Zemeckis)
for swiping the Oscar away from Pulp Fiction (one of the
greater Academy travesties of all time). This latest offering
from the same star and director more than redeems them, in this
movie buff's opinion.
Going in, my expectations were modest. I figured that even with a crappy screenplay, two hours would pass by sufficiently quickly with Tom Hanks and a big plane crash.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the screenplay was anything but crappy. It was superb!
The story as presented is really fascinating. A high-strung globe-trotting FedEx manager is the sole survivor of a plane crash, and winds up stranded on a tiny uninhabited island. At first, the physical challenges are formidable. He almost drowns, trying to paddle back out to sea, and is forced to scavenge for food, water and shelter. Later on, he is under even greater emotional distress, all alone in the middle of the Pacific, and eventually (after 4 years) he makes a final, desperate escape attempt.
Conspicuously absent were the typical contrived plot twists and asinine dramatic devices. For once, all the mighty Hollywood technical and aesthetic resources serve to reinforce the story, instead of vice versa. The movie moves along surprisingly naturally and quietly (once they get the plane wreck out of the way...). For an hour, they even laid off the incidental music. (Hallelujah, praise the lord!!!) The result is astonishing: the environment sinks in in ways most movies never allow. Hours later, I can still picture this tropical island in my mind, and hear the waves crashing against the reef.
This movie is a great success in all aspects. I found it to be particularly effective on an emotional level. My heart was beating faster during the aftermath in Helen Hunt's kitchen than during the plane wreck.
Intellectually, this movie is very engaging. Hanks' character could be any one of us; he's a very ordinary guy who gets transformed by extreme circumstances. It's very easy to picture yourself out there in his shoes, because he he learns his survival skills from scratch and he makes the same mistakes you or I would make. This film is very convincing in demonstrating how our environment shapes who we are and how we behave. (Take away every concievable modern luxury, including human companionship, and what would you do...)
Technically, there are some great moments. The plane wreck is cool, and there are some really spectacular scenic shots of the island. Particularly impressive are the sequences where Hanks is out on the water, trying to escape the surf. These scenes should ring very true with anyone who has ever had their ass kicked by a wave. Great directing!
Tom Hanks (who also co-wrote the screenplay) gives a fantastic performance in the lead. He really makes it all happen. If you don't believe in his dramatic abilities yet, you will after this film. Helen Hunt is also adds a lot of impact (albeit in a minor part) as Hanks' fiancee.
They really hit the ball out of the park on this one. Think
of Cast Away as a big Hollywood movie that attains European
levels of emotional and intellectual acuity. Everybody please
go see it.