They hunt, protect each other and claim dominance. The men, pursued by wolves, soon take on the same animal mentality.

The group - Burke (Nonso Anozie), Henrick (Dallas Roberts), Talget (Dermot Mulroney) and Diaz (Frank Grillo) - is excellently portrayed by the actors. To tell the methods would ruin the suspense. Unsurprisingly, given the locale, some live, some die. You may see what one man’s disposition will lead to, but it feels natural rather than preordained. The survivors, all men, all posses individual characteristics so well done they bypass caricature altogether and fall right into believability.

Ottaway and a group of oil field workers survive a plane crash that leaves them in the midst of the Arctic tundra. It drops the violence-for-violence’s-sake mentality, and instead seeks a grim idea of masculinity in the face of overwhelming odds. “The Grey,” thankfully, takes a completely different tack. (Which may be true, as most societies frown upon mass murder.) It’s bluster and pseudo-manhood at its worse. He’s a beast, but Ottaway knows pain and love, which he exhibits time and time again.Īll of this comes as a surprise, considering director Joe Carnahan’s previous endeavors, especially “Smokin’ Aces” and “The A-Team.” Both extolled sadistic violence in a machismo-esque manner, rebelling against some unseen societal custom. The feelings he expresses, poignantly so while reading a letter to his wife (which serves as a voice-over narration), tantalizingly suggest a well of compassion in tandem with his ruthless survival instinct. We also know he’s far deeper, both emotionally and intelligently, than one would credit him. We do know he once had a wife (shown in flashbacks, played by Anne Openshaw). He’s a man of few words (and even less back story), and he fits in well with the lost souls surrounding him. Ottaway (Neeson), a huntsman for a petroleum company, works in the Arctic oil fields sharpshooting wolves and other predatory creatures that might attack the other field workers.

It’s blunt and unyielding, a perfect companion to its environment, a corner of the world best left to nature. (And no, it wasn’t because of Neeson’s savage right hook, though that doesn’t hurt.)īreaking from the biopics for a breather, Neeson stars in “The Grey,” a stripped-down tale of elementary brutality in circumstances so stark, so desolate, you become lost in the white wash of the Alaskan snow. He continues this awesome streak with “The Grey,” a visceral stunner that will leave your jaw on the theater floor. Whether he’s taking brutal, exacting revenge in “Taken” or struggling to regain his life in “Unknown,” Neeson is a lean and angry machine, compelling you to purchase a ticket to see his movies. ‘The Grey’ a stunning, visceral experience Editor’s note: This review first was published Jan.

Into the fray the grey