: Cast Away
I didn’t want to like this movie. It seemed like just another retread of Robinson Crusoe, and yes, that’s exactly what it turned out to be. I saw very little that I didn’t expect: I swear I could have written out the plot myself in advance. Much of the drama was forced and heavy-handed. For instance in the first few minutes Tom Hanks’ calls his girlfriend from Moscow and just happens to mention he needs a dentist appointment for a tooth that’s bothering him. “Oh great,” I immediately think, “we’ll be having an overly dramatic home dental surgery demonstration on the island.” Sure enough, that’s what happened (though I didn’t know he’d use an ice skate). At other times the direction is too obvious: Tom flicking a lighter that instantly flames to show how “easy” it is to get fire (in contrast to his having to create fire via friction). But despite all that, I did like the film. It was well done, though there was nothing earthshattering about it. Just a realistic story about a man surviving for years on a deserted island. Hanks did a good job; he blended into the role completely, which is excellent acting, but I thought his character was a little boring. The special effects and plane crash and storms were very well done. Overall, a decent film, though lacking in depth. It tries to explore some complex issues (like Hanks coming home to find his girlfriend married with children), but it doesn’t explore them beyond introducing the potential problems. For me, the film Alive did all this so much better with a positive message.
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