There is a moment early on in Joe Carnahan's (
Smokin' Aces, The A-Team) newest film,
The Grey, that stands as a blueprint for the moments to follow and a testament to the power of the film overall. Liam Neeson's Ottway stands shivering in the wreckage of a plane over a dying man, his stomach has been cut open, whom he encourages to accept the warm blanket of death.
The Grey is the unique genre film that manages to elevate its basic premise by utilizing its familiar trappings while simultaneously wrestling with greater themes. In the case of
The Grey it is the notion of impending death and when submission to its powerful jaws is appropriate.
