Arctic (2018) [Blu-ray]
Adventure | Drama
Tagline: Survival is its own Journey.
Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Doctor Strange) delivers an engrossing tour de force performance as Overgård, a resourceful yet increasingly desperate man stranded in a remote, snow-covered wilderness. After a plane crash in an
icy wasteland, Overgård must live by his wits as he waits for help to arrive. But when a long-awaited rescue effort fails, he faces a life-or-death decision: remain in the relative safety of his camp and hope to be found, or embark on an arduous trek that
may be the only hope for both him and a critically injured stranger. Critics are calling this captivating, white knuckle film "chilling and thrilling, heart-wrenching and heart-lifting" (Los Angeles Times).
Storyline: A man stranded in the Arctic after an airplane crash must decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his makeshift camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown in hopes of making it out alive.
Written by Bleecker Street
Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, May 7, 2019 Few categories of film speak to the human spirit and human condition more than the Survival genre, and few films accomplish a more intimate journey through the outward
trials and inner turmoils than Director Joe Penna's feature debut Arctic. It is a film of both environmental scale and scope and one man's struggle to survive unthinkably harsh and bleak conditions in the isolated, desolate, and
detached-from-the-world Arctic. Penna, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ryan Morrison, crafts a compelling tale that balances hope and horror, fight and frigid conditions in a film that's sole focus is on the outward struggle, the inner fears, and the
fatigue that wears the man down inside and out. It's a classic man-versus-nature tale but also a capable inward reflection of man at his best, even when all but inescapably trapped in the world's worst.
Arctic begins in medias res, revealing a character named Overgård (Mads Mikkelsen) who the audience knows little about and will know little about for the duration. He's the only survivor of a plane crash. How long he has been on the ground
and forced into survival mode is unknown. Why he was in the Arctic is not known. He has been there long enough to establish a routine, waking up to catch fish, which he eats raw; to scrawl a large "SOS" sign in the snow; to use a hand-crank radio in hopes
of signaling help. His only aids are a warm jacket, gloves, a sleeping bag, a few crude and makeshift tools, and the plane's mangled hull which he uses for shelter. One day, a helicopter appears in the sky. He frantically signals it down with a flare, but
wind shears cause the chopper to crash. He pulls out the lone survivor, a young woman (María Thelma) who is barely alive. He mends her wounds as best he can and resultantly finds his difficulties doubled and his chances of rescue dwindling with every day
that draws death closer for the two of them.
There's not much to the movie, at least in terms of location changes, visual shake-ups, narrative twists, or character detailing. It's essentially the story of a man who is capable of looking after himself in frigid conditions but who was obviously not
prepared to do so or professionally trained in the skills necessary to survive long term. Despite the conditions, he remains clear-headed, putting plans into place and into motion as best he can, using what he has at his disposal to prolong his chances of
survival and rescue. In his new, bleak, barren, and blistering cold environment, he finds the courage to continue and the skills to survive. Arctic is not concerned with back story. It is concerned with hope, human spirit, that inner fight that
refuses to allow the body to surrender until the body can take no more. Mads Mikkelsen is terrific as the mystery man, revealing a depth of character that exists well beyond the physical representation presented to the audience. Mikkelsen not only
believably fights through the external struggles that wear his body down, he also emotes an incredible range throughout his inward response to the situation-at-large and his various responses to new events as they further complicate or endanger his battle
to survive. It's brilliant work both physically and inwardly and few could argue that it is not the most complete performance of his career.
Joe Penna and Cinematographer Tómas Örn Tómasson shoot the film with tight scenes and character portraits that reveal the depth and breadth of Mikkelsen's performance and showcase the physical toll on his body as well the mental condition in which he
exists. Contrarily, they film the Arctic expanse at wide angle, presenting an image of the environment's scope, scale, emptiness, and hopelessness. Every shot builds or reinforces the story. There's not a wasted moment in the movie, and clocking in at
around 90 minutes before credits it's is the perfect length for Mikkelsen to build the character and Penna to build the story and frame it within the expansive world around him that practically feels like it's enclosing in on him until it suffocates his
soul and squeezes the life out of him.
Arctic thrives on Mikkelsen's performance but also impressive is Penna's craftsmanship. The director drops the audience into the story, revealing precious little detail. Penna further does little to expand the story from start to finish,
maintaining a focus on survival, isolation, cold, hunger, fear, and fatigue. It's a terrific film. Universal's Blu-ray delivers high quality video and audio presentations. The supplements are fine but few. Highly recommended.
[CSW] -3.8- This reviewer said it better than I could: This is the ultimate survival movie! Sure, there are those survival reality shows, but this is the "real" deal. Mads is the Man! Considering his age (mid-50s) this was an extremely arduous
movie for an actor of any age to make. Wonderful performance despite hardly any dialogue - just the look on his face and in his eyes conveys everything. Backstories are hardly there but you get the point pretty fast. He is a man stranded in an arctic
wilderness. Between surviving on fish he manages catch and keeping a watching eye on the local polar bear, he is weighing the options of seeking help. During one of his local expeditions to make contact with the rest of the world he is gifted with a
survivor of a helicopter crash. She is barely surviving, but Mads does his best to keep her alive. Will they ever get rescued? Suspenseful to the end! This movie is worth watching. You will never take your living circumstances for granted
again.
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[V4.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box
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