The Mountain Between Us

Kate Winslet and Idris Elba in "The Mountain Between Us" 

“The Mountain Between Us” stars Idris Elba and Kate Winslet, and were it not for their presence the mere existence of this movie wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense.  Two strangers, a photo-journalist (Winslet) and a surgeon (Elba), are trying to fly across the country but the weather gets in the way. Winslet’s character has the bright idea to charter a plane and after overhearing the similar plight of a stranger nearby asks him to join. It’s too bad the pilot (Beau Bridges) has a stroke mid flight, and after crashing at 11,000 feet amidst the Rocky Mountains, a survival story ensues, in addition to a love story. Twist! After the screening, I was a little confused. The movie wasn’t good. In fact, it was bad. But the director, the well respected Dutch-Palestinian Hany Abu Assad was there, as well as the President of Fox 2000 Pictures, Elizabeth Gabler, and they were gonna talk to us after. They had a lot of explaining to do.

One of the best parts about this class is the opportunity given to actually hear from the filmmakers and studio executives about the process of making such a movie, the technical and logistical difficulties. It enhances the movie going experience. Even in a movie like this, which I personally didn't like, listening to the director about how and why this got made, and the experience of really filming in the environment depicted was worthwhile. And while “The Mountain Between Us” isn’t successful as a survival story, much less a love story, watching these two actors who were truly filming at above 10,000 feet in extreme weather was extraordinary, which makes it all the more disappointing how ineffective the story is emotionally. What should be a devastating and thrilling exploration of two strangers relying on each other for strength and survival becomes stale and repetitive. When problems arise: a mountain lion, a frozen lake, a bear trap, it gets solved too neatly, and the characters, who save for the adorable dog, are really the only people on screen, don’t seem like real people. And in a sense they aren't. They are two beautiful, perfectly structured movie stars. Elba and Winslet have a charisma and magnetism that is undeniable, we all know this, and you could do worse then to watch them for 90 minutes, but the material doesn’t match their strengths as actors, and the imagery of the mountains can't make up for the weakness in both the script and direction. 

Leaving Beverly Hills and anticipating my two hour drive home I had a thought, "What is the point of all this?" And honestly I don't have an answer. It was disappointing to start this 10 week course with a dud, but just being there, in a theater, listening to smart people, surrounded by an engaged audience proved to be enough. After glancing at the schedule of the upcoming screenings and guests helped boost my confidence in deciding to take this class because I know for a fact I will be seeing some great movies eventually. But in the end, this is about getting me back into the groove of writing, and engaging with art, closely examining, sorting out my emotions and coming to conclusions. I've missed it so much and I don't know what was holding me back. But I do know that I'm ready.