The Grey

The tagline for this movie: Live Or Die On This Day. An unruly group of oil-rig roughnecks are forced to work together when their plane crashes in the wilderness. As they battle merciless weather and mortal injuries, they come to the realization that they are also being hunted by a vicious pack of wolves. They only have a few days to escape their pursuers and the icy conditions before their time runs out.

John Ottway works for an Alaskan oil-rig hunting the wolves that threaten the oil drilling team, but due to complications involving his wife he is considering suicide until he is thrust into the role of leader to a motley crew of survivors after a plane crash. John Diaz is an ex-con who brings his selfish mentality to the group as his fear of the situation grows and his instinct to rage against whoever he sees as an authority figure gets the better of him and turns him against Ottway's leadership. Talget is trying to get back to his wife & daughter and only interested in the best way to stay alive so he can get back to them, but when he finds himself on the precipice of his greatest fear that he most try to overcome by staying calm. Pete Hendrick is the will of the group to follow directions and help any of the survivors who may need it, but when he is in need of a helping hand his own panic do the severity of the situation and the helpers ignorance may become his undoing.

This movie has the kind of roles in it that actors pray for, with monologues and close ups that makes an audience feel that they know the character. I would describe this movie as a horror movie for the campers or survivalists as it shows that you don't have to be afraid of the imaginary boogey man in the dark when you have a real life pack of wolves stalking you. Liam Neeson does a superb job leading the cast and Joe Carnahan brings a rawness in his directing that strikes a nerve at the very core. The movie is based on the short story Ghost Walker by Ian MacKenzie who co-wrote the script with Carnahan which probably why the tone has of the able to remain from one medium to the next. The only thing that may polarize viewers in the ending which can be interpreted in many ways depending on how you felt about the scenario. I rate this movie a Rated T.

P.S. There is a Post-Credits Scene that may further confuse some and/or give a sense of closure to others. 

Man on a Ledge

The tagline for this movie: You Can Only Push An Innocent Man So Far. An ex-cop who is now a wanted fugitive stands on the ledge of a high-rise building while a police negotiator, who has seen better days, does her best to try and talk him down. The longer they are on the ledge, the more she realizes that he might have ab ulterior objective as a jewel heist for a missing jewel goes on right under everyone's noses.

Nick Cassidy is the police man facing 25 years for the theft of a diamond that he had nothing to do with and must now take steps to prove that the stolen diamond has been in the possession of the businessman it was supposed stolen from all along. Lydia Mercer is the New York Police Department psychologist who is trying to prove herself after a person she tried to help killed themselves but it soon becomes clear to her that there is more going on with Nick than what he is letting the public see. Joey Cassidy is Nicks younger brother who has enlisted his girlfriend Angie in the heist that could clear his brother's name, but the obstacles they face in their effort to achieve their goal may be more that they had anticipated in their plans. David Englander is the businessman who framed Nick for the theft of his Monarch Diamond, but it is the help he had in doing so that may lead to his downfall and the downfall  of the empire he has fought tooth and nail to build in the heart of New York City.

This movie is what you could call a crowd pleaser because you can predict what will happen at every moment while cheering on the hero as he and his friends take down the big bad power hungry villain. I was surprised to see Edward Burns as a supporting actor is this flick as he usually the lead in movie that are not as good as the movies he directs. This is directors Asger Leth's second film and his first fully scripted movie as the one before this one was the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil. This movie is the the kind that has you while you are watching it, but doesn't stay with you after you have left it. It is a perfect example of disposable cinema, so enjoy it while you are in the midst of all the thrills and eye candy it has to offer because you wont remember much of it when you have moved on to other things. I rate this movie a Rated B.