-Story-
Cast away tells the story of Chuck Noland, a mild mannered Fed Ex agent who after his plane crashes in the South Pacific spends four and a half years stranded on a deserted island. His only companion, a smarmy volleyball named Wilson. This film took a bit of risk by having virtually no dialogue for the majority of it’s middle. Of course, when your talking about Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks; you can afford to take some calculated risks. The film, deals a lot with time. Our attitude towards it, how it molds our lives, and what if any value it really has or should have. Perhaps it just depends on perspective. For Chuck, his time obsessed world is turned on it’s ear. And he must learn to survive and eventually rescue himself through a courage and fortitude he didn’t even know he had. This film is about bravery and sacrifice. Chuck has to learn to live, even after he has understood how to feed himself and survive, he needs to find his reason to go on. And he does of course in his beloved fiancé Kelly. This is a touching story, albeit a bit singularly themed. It works in most every regard, shows us our personal fragility and the strength we can possess. It is sentimental and contrite, delivering on exactly what it sets out to do.
-Look-
Castaway looks very nice. The setting is great, the island; I believe one of the Figian ones, makes a wonderful stage for our protagonists endeavors and hardships. Having seen some of the behind the scenes documentaries on this film I must say I was impressed, not just with the location, which looks much like it would sell itself (although a fair amount of CG was used actually), but in the costume design, the look of the set pieces, the props, and even the actual character look. This being a film centered on a man thrown from his proper place in the world to a survival of the fittest situation, every little detail, every element he might have is crucial to his survival, and the story. Exactly what Chuck has to survive with is of vital importance, on his island. Basically this means that all of the props had to be perfect, in both design and effect. I must admit Wilson was excellently crafted, and by the end served as a wonderful companion for Chuck, letting us see into his character a lot more.
The real triumph here is in Tom Hanks, he lost something close to a hundred pounds for this role, stopped shooting and came back like a year and a half later to finish the film. In terms of the look of the film this couldn’t have been more important and Hanks pulled it off wonderfully. He really looks like a bedraggled shell of a man. He’s been pushed to his limit and is holding onto sanity by a few thin threads. A total transformation, his look is just right for the scene.
-Acting/Direction-
This film really puts a lot of pressure on Tom Hanks’ character. He has to hold the viewer in the moment, create a believable world, virtually by himself. And then he has to keep our attention for over an hour with only him on screen. If it wasn’t Tom Hanks, I wouldn’t even think it possible, but of course, Hanks is a caliber of actor that doesn’t come around every day. He of course does pull the character off, and we end up caring for his plight, and sympathizing that he will someday be able to return home. Supported by the always excellent character actor Helen Hunt as Kelly his estranged fiancé. The actors support this story and play it’s strengths to their fullest.
That said, it should be noted that while this film works, meaning it achieves what it sets out to do, and the performances are top notch all around, it doesn’t inspire or draw the viewer in like both Hanks and especially Robert Zemeckis have been known to do so often. The story is a good one, and a very interesting cinematic experiment, but it doesn’t have any real layering. It isn’t complex enough to challenge our intellects. That’s not to say it’s really bad in any way; but when you have creative forces of this caliber involved, I think it’s only right to hold them to a higher standard than most. So, while Cast Away is a good film in itself. Both Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis are capable of more, and it’s disappointing that this didn’t live up to what they could have done.
-Overall-
A good film, it achieves what it sets out to do. But both Hanks and Zemeckis are capable of more thought provoking and intellectual drama. This could have been more.
