The Mountain Between Us isn’t quite a huge misfire but it’s a tale of two movies, one about survival and another about romance and it’s doesn’t quite mesh. However, as a fan of both Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, the film at least was watchable if not forgettable.
The Mountain Between Us
(2017)
Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Romance
Fox | PG13 – 112 min. – $34.99 | December 26, 2017
Date Published: 12/31/2017 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.0/5 |
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The Mountain Between Us is a film that excels more due to the charisma of its two leads rather than a halfway believable story or stilted, sometimes cringe-worthy, dialogue and a messy conclusion. The plot unfolds when, due to an incoming storm, flights out of Idaho have been cancelled stranding passengers, including Alex Martin (KATE WINSLET), a photo journalist set to get married the next day and Ben Bass (IDRIS ELBA) is a neurosurgeon in a rush for an emergency operation. Overhearing of Ben’s plight, she proposes the pair charter a plane and enlists a pilot (BEAU BRIDGES), who brings along his dog. Unfortunately the storm had shifted into their path and the plane crashes on top of a mountain, killing the pilot and injuring Alex’s leg, though Ben escapes relatively uninjured. Not only doesn’t his cell phone receive a signal, but the pilot hadn’t filed a flight plan and the transponder, as we find out later, has been destroyed.
Alex and Ben at first butt heads with the former being stubborn and unable to stay still while the latter has the need to be in control. With no rescue in sight, the pair, along with the dog, treks down the mountain in the hopes of finding some semblance of civilization. But they must brave the harsh elements, staving off the cold and predators alike. Along the way, a romance blooms culminating inside a dilapidated cabin. There are a few things to admire about The Mountain Between Us: Kate Winslet and Idris Elba are both top-notch actors who give it their all with the convoluted story and poorly written characters. The film also looks pretty damn good courtesy of the cinematographer Mandy Walker (Jane Got a Gun, Hidden Figures and the upcoming Mulan live action Disney remake), the photography at times were absolutely beautiful.
On the downside, however, as much as I respect Winslet and Elba, those two really didn’t have great chemistry though I’m not sure if it was them, a poorly written screenplay or a director in Hany Abu-Assad who didn’t quite capture the moments quite right. Most times in these movies, I try to replace actors and imagine if anything would be different (if everything else remained the same) and honestly, not entirely sure if my opinion would’ve changed any. The problem, beyond the fantastical nature of the story of these two’s ability to survive the harsh conditions — not to forget a frickin’ plane crash! — but this seemed like a movie that wanted to be both a survival thriller and a romantic drama, which neither really fit in very well, culminating with a third act that felt so off and one that relies on you rooting for these characters and if you don’t, you’ll find the ending to feel incredibly, well, cold. Directed by Hany Abu-Assad, marking his first major Hollywood production (he also had a 2012 thriller called The Courier starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan), The Mountain Between Us is hardly a terrible movie and if nothing else, an okay way to spend a couple of hours if only to watch Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, but don’t go in expecting some emotional powerhouse of a film.
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SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.25/5 |
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This release comes with a glossy slip cover and inside a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Audio Commentary – Director Hany Abu-Assad walks listeners through the process of making the movie providing anecdotal stories about the locations and working with Winslet and Elba. Love and Survival: Creating Chemistry (12:42; HD) explores the making of the movie from the Charles Martin novel. Includes interviews with the cast and crew talking about the characters. Mountain Between Them: Shooting in Isolation (10:17; HD) is about filming in cold and desolate locations. The Wilds: Survival Stunts (5:47; HD) is on the stunt work done, mostly by the actors themselves. Deleted Scenes (14:15; HD) – There are seven scenes that, probably due to pacing, did not make the cut or were trimmed. Includes optional director’s commentary. Gallery (2:03; HD) is composed of still images from the set/locations. Theatrical Trailer (2:14; HD) |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| The Mountain Between Us takes full advantage of the 1080p high-definition transfer, shown in the film’s 2.39 widescreen aspect ratio, showcasing the beautiful mountain landscape. Detail is nice and sharp throughout and there is some splashes of color set against the pure white snowy backdrop. I didn’t really notice any signs of aliasing or artifacting so it is a clean looking picture. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The disc comes with the now standard DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and although it’s not the full fledged 7.1 option that usually comes with these Blu-rays, 5.1 is more than adequate as outside of the plane crash, the bulk is either comprised of dialogue or, for the surrounds, ambient noises such as snow shifting, ice cracking, etc. It’s nothing outstanding but effective. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Overall, The Mountain Between Us isn’t quite a huge misfire but it’s a tale of two movies, one about survival and another about romance and it’s doesn’t quite mesh. However, as a fan of both Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, the film at least was watchable if not forgettable. The Blu-ray release offers up good video/audio transfers and an okay selection of bonus features. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.