Well folks, Harry here... and man... man oh man oh man.... I hope Zemeckis can figure out... QUICK.... a way to finish the end of this movie off.... Perhaps, just a simple shot of Hanks in the midst of a billion flashing cameras, microphones, questions... pushing, shoving... and suddenly the sound drops out to the crashing of waves, gulls squawking... and wind..... Damn that sounds corny.... I don't envy his job.... the perfect punctuation to a helluva story has gotta be a beach....
Hey Harry,
Was fortunate enough to see the new Zemeckis film tonight, CAST AWAY, in Newport Beach. The film is more or less done, though we saw an unmarried print with incomplete color and CGI. It was one of those advertising/demographic screenings. The film's aspect ratio is 1:1.85 (or flat).
I feel like including some spoilers because Zemeckis amazed me and pissed me off tonight.
Overall, the film is borderline good, but...the scenes on the plane and the subsequent 80 minutes on the island are AMAZING! The final 25 minutes, and ESPECIALLY the closing scene, however, undermine the previous level of brilliance achieved by Zemeckis and Hanks.
Most readers know the plot, so allow me to comment.
The introduction to Hanks' character, Chuck Noland (hey, I just realized the irony in his name--hah, i'm slow). He is a big-wig at Federal Express and spends a lot of time on the go and on the road. He has a serious love relationship with Helen Hunt's character, and seems to be a diligent and honest man.
The opening is a bit curious because the product placement by FedEx made me feel uncomfortable. I mean, why couldn't they use a make-believe postal agency--how MUCH did FedEx pay 20th Century Fox / Dreamworks for this HUGE corporate promotion? That worries me a bit...
Anyway, the setup worked for me: not too sentimental, not too contrived, yet obviously setting the stage for some string-pulling and foreshadow payoffs. There is, however, one silly early-Coen Bros. shot of a "package-cam" that I thought was pretty weak, but other than that I have few qualms with the first 20 minutes...it sets up the inevitable.
And then there's the plane crash...
...which is a lovely sequence because of it's sublety. No huge explosions or the likes...just some genuinely frightening camera work that stays of objective and imposes a lot of fear. None of that Michael Bay/MTV quick cut B.S.
And then Hanks is on the island...
Honestly, I loved EVERYTHING about the island! Zemeckis doesn't do ANY tricky camera work--a lot mounted camerawork and very little herky-jerky or crane work. In fact, the best way I can describe everything on the island is this: DAYS OF HEAVEN (the film had a strong Malick feel) meets BUSTER KEATON...but WITH SOUND! I know, it's sounds corny, but it works!
Hanks performance on the island is up there with his best work--I'd say a BIG caliber performance. The perfect blend of humor and insight, and most importantly, Hanks refuses to become a sentimental or schmaltzy character. At home, he was a man at the mercy of time, being a FedEx employee and all, but while on the island, he remains at the mercy of time, but in a different sense. Time transcends from being something he races against to something he fights to ignore. Keep busy; keep focused. He goes mad the same way 'Jack' goes mad in FIGHT CLUB: he sort of never realizes how insane he has actually become.
Other notes: NO SCORE during the 90 minutes or so on the island--which is lovely. Granted, I'm not a huge Silvestri fan, but the small bit of music he did compose and conduct for the film is rather pleasant.
Anyway, I won't delve any further into the time spent while 'cast away', but let me say it's incredible, and well worth the price of admission.
Unfortunately, Zemeckis and Co. obviously had a difficult time deciding what to do with Hanks' character AFTER he left the island. I say obvious because the final act of the film is hardly esoteric or insightful, and disregards the brilliance in pace and tone they had previously established.
And after four years on the island, Hanks returns to the real world...
This is where the film digresses in every sense of the word. The pace, tone, and overall patience established by the filmmakers in the previous 2/3 of the film is totally undermined by a oddly sentimental and ultimately soulless/cheeky denoument. I remember reading spoilers about the end earlier on the site, so I won't elaborate in detail. I will say, however, that I felt cheated: like I had endured this amazing and unprecedented experience only to end up with a bit of sugar-coated schmaltz and peculiar Hollywood ending.
And then there's the last five minutes...heck, three minutes at that...
You see, I can accept the ending. I rationalized it in my mind and it made sense. (side note: the problem with test screenings, i've personally noticed, is that since the film has not been released, I find myself trying to second guess the filmmakers instead of analyzing, enjoying, and thinking about what's on screen...as you would with a final product).
But the final 3 minutes are a disgrace to the film! Think of it this way: imagine watching 'Saving Private Ryan', but in the last two minutes the tone is abandoned and messed with in a way that makes the film seem like a romantic comedy. Yes, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but you'll have to see it to believe it. The last three minutes could EASILY be chopped off and this would be a stellar bit of filmmaking--Oscar caliber and easily one of Zemeckis' finest works. If it were edited, I would be comfortable recommending this to others, whole heartedly!
One last thing: PLEASE DROP THE FINAL SONG!!!! IT IS WHOLLY INAPPROPRIATE AND MADE ME SO INCREDIBLY ANGRY!!
Once again, I felt cheated. I'd rather see the worst film of the year than see an amazing film so shamelessly bathe itself in crap during the few minutes. Such a tragedy ):.
Since it looks like the last three minutes will remain on the film, I simply cannot recommend this beautiful, original, and intelligent bit of storytelling.
I'm sorry...
(aww screw it, I'll recommend it anyway, I mean, what the f*ck do I know!)
(:
Stig Helmer
