ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

Survival

Arctic – We’ll Take A Better Way

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I must admit that when I read the synopsis of Arctic (directed by Joe Penna), it reminded me of The Mountain Between Us, the Kate Winslet and Idris Elba film that graced TIFF in 2017: A plane crash; the impossible decision of whether to stay with the plane for shelter in hopes of rescue, or venture off in search of help; and trying to survive the extreme elements. Because of this, my expectations weren’t terribly high. I was concerned that this was a story line that had been done many times before but I eat my words!

Arctic was continuously engaging from start to finish. Mads Mikkelsen (Overgard) was triumphant, able to portray every emotion with barely any dialogue. Even with the silence, there were barely any dull moments. At only 1 hour and 37 minutes, the film was paced well, containing enough time to showcase the story in detail without dragging.

I loved the sound mixing in this film. From the beginning, we hear the harsh crunch of snow before we even see it. With such limited dialogue, the sounds in this film acted as a character of their own and contributed to the overall tone of the film.

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Despite the film’s serious and life-threatening scenario, I found myself pulling a lot of hopefulness and inspiration from it. From the beginning, Overgard is unusually calm and focused on surviving until he can be rescued. He is a jack-of-all-trades character and utilizes his skills and wisdom to fish, maintain shelter, and attempt to orient himself. His calm and productive nature during this terrifying scenario is incredibly inspiring.

It was also extremely heartwarming to witness how an individual could be so caring to someone they don’t know. Without giving away one of the main plots, Overgard encounters a complete stranger who doesn’t even speak the same language. It would have been easier and more beneficial for Overgard to only look out for himself. This gave me a lot of hope for humanity and reassured me that at our core, we are loving people and are capable of great things.

On the other hand, the viewer experiences the stresses and heartaches alongside Overgard. Arctic effectively balances the real and raw aspects of the scenes while still keeping the tone a bit more family friendly (especially the scenes involving animals). Scenes with animals are inevitable in wilderness films, but I personally dislike scenes that portray animals being hurt. In these moments, the movie is respectful of its audience and I didn’t take issue with their execution in this regard.

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This film had an overall mysterious tone. Who are these people? Where did they come from? What happens next? While I typically hunger for answers,  Arctic left me satisfied with the unknown.

Called by the Water: 1on1 with Jordan and Aaron Kandell (ADRIFT)

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Written by twin brothers, Jordan and Aaron Kandell (Moana), Adrift tells the amazing true story of Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claifin), two young lovers who set out on a journey across the ocean in 1983 and sailed directly into a Category 4 hurricane. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. Stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no communication or navigation tools, Tami must find a way to save them both. According to Jordan, as soon as they discovered Tami’s story, they knew that it was one that needed to be told onscreen.

“We were doing journalistic research for an original survival sea story that we were prepping to write,” begins Jordan. “We have journalistic background and so we always try to [bring a]… sense of reality and authenticity, even if it’s a fictional story. So, I think in the first hour we came upon Tami’s book because it’s incredibly well known as one of the all-time great survival stories. But when you look at these vast geographic and other magazines had lists of 10 best new incredible survival stories, Tami’s was the only one that featured a woman! To us, we just couldn’t believe that. It said everything we wanted to say in our meetup story, which was going to be about twin brothers and loss. I don’t know why we had that idea (laughs). But it was a true story, it was a woman [who] survived incredible odds and it had an incredible love story on top of it. So, it just has everything and we just knew we had to tell it as soon as we read it.”

Having spent a good deal of time with Tami as they were preparing the story, Aaron believes the most inspiring aspect about her was her incredible humility.

“The thing that’s most amazing to us about Tami is that she thinks anybody would have survived the same situation,” Aaron reflects. “She’s the kind of hero who doesn’t think she’s a hero and that’s what makes her more heroic. She just has this strength and this indomitable ability and this humility about her that makes her deeply inspiring [to us]. [It’s the kind of inspiration] where you go, ‘That’s the kind of person that, if I had to be stuck on a boat, I would hope I could be stuck with them’ because that’s the person that’s going to make it no matter what. I don’t think we could have survived that.”

While it’s always a challenge to bring reality to the big screen, it can be even more daunting to have those who lived through the story over-seeing the process. However, with Tami, the Kandells were amazed at her candidness and willingness to explore her past.

According to Jordan, “The most exciting part of the process was that, not only is Tami everything strong and fearless and humble that Aaron said, but she’s also incredibly warm, open, collaborative and willing to trust in us to tell her story. Then, she was willing to open up her polaroids and her ship’s blog and relive this harrowing journey in incredible, powerful detail in interviews with us over the five-year journey it took to make it. That’s just a blessing to have someone do that and, of course, it infuses us with even deeper desire to tell her story.”

Although Tami and Richard had only known each other a few months before their journey out to sea, there is little question of the impact and intensity of their romance. As she spoke to Jordan and Aaron about her experience, they too became convinced that their love provided her with a spiritual sense of strength.

“Tami has always described her relationship with Richard as true love, like a deep soul connection love,” Aaron responds. “To this day, I think she believes that, if he was still here, they would be together. In the movie, they got engaged and were planning to sail the world together and spend their lives together. She told us that she says in her book that she’s not sure exactly what got her through it. She went over the course of the 41-day harrowing journey in a lot of different questions and doubts. We have her ship’s blog where she’s writing things like, ‘Why did you do this to me?’ ‘Why me?’ ‘Am I being punished, God?’ It was a very Jobian thing that she would explore. She doesn’t know if it was a higher power, a guardian spirit or angel voice that spoke to her in her moment of dire need and kept her going and motivated her and kind of guided her but she what she ultimately arrived at—and believes—is that it was Richard’s love that got her through it… Her love for him was [the reason she survived and] what gave her the ultimate strength.”

One of the more compelling elements of the Kandells’ script is its interest in moving seamlessly between past and present. In doing so, the story juxtaposes love and survival in a fascinating ebb and flow. With this in mind, Jordan believes that the interplay between timelines stems from Tami’s book and gives the film an almost musical element.

“Honestly, the inspiration for that comes right out of adapting the book, which is Tami recounting her survival while also processing her emotions through memory of the cinematic lush romance with Richard…,” he muses. “There’s something really beautifully sonic about having these two different melodies that we interweave and create a more intricate harmony when brought together. That structurally and creatively was a challenge and an inspiration. It was also a way to honor what she told us [about how] love is what she believed got her through it. Then, the love story is as important and essential to understanding the survival story. Those two have to be communicating with each other.”

Of course, the Kandells’ are perhaps best known for their role in writing the script for Disney’s Moana. As their first major writing credit, it’s interesting that both stories centre around two adventurous women that strike out onto the ocean. In this case, however, Aaron contends that, while the comparisons are natural, they are not intentional.

“It’s one of those, ‘How did they happen? Is it a coincidence?’ As Tami says, ‘what it steers your path’. We actually found her story before Moana,” he explains. “We started writing the opening scenes of Adrift the day we got called and hired for Moana. We had to put Adrift on hold while we worked on Moana and then came back and started writing Adrift the day after we finished. So, the fact that they happen to be both stories about young women who kind of find their inner strength and power by sailing out to sea and getting into a storm and being mentored by older male mariners is a coincidence or something of the highest order.”

Interestingly, the open water is featured so predominantly in both films that it almost becomes a character unto itself, breathing life into the narrative. In light of this, the Kendalls believe that their interest in the ocean stems primarily from their upbringing on Hawaii, offering them a place of spiritual inspiration.

“I think for us, personally, nature and the ocean are respectful communion has always been our church and our spirituality,” Jordan insists. “It’s where we feel most comfortable. We are more comfortable on water than we are on land. It’s where we go to recharge and cleanse ourselves and find inspiration and creativity. Yeah. This is our fifth screenplay involving the ocean that we’ve actually written. I guess we feel a calling back towards it.”

“Is that the nature in you or is it nurture?,” offers Aaron. “We have salt water in our veins. Our parents threw us the ocean when we were six months old and that was every day for us. So, it’s certainly a function of both of those things. Being born and raised in Hawaii and living here still, there’s a value system to when you live on an island, (in Hawaii certainly, but I think about all island cultures around the world). There’s a respect for and a communion with the ocean because it surrounds you and has you in a blue embrace at all times. So, [you go] to that as your source for joy, for sports, or food. It’s something that a category five hurricane (for story plundering) is something that you can’t escape. We’re surrounded on all sides by it and it failed. Yeah. We ended up blending and diving into it as often as we can, as deeply as we can.”

Adrift is in theatres now.

Adrift: Waves of Salvation

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Directed by Baltasar Kormakur (Everest), Adrift tells the amazing true story of Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin), who set out on a journey across the ocean in 1983 and sailed directly into a Category 4 hurricane. In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. Stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no communication or navigation tools, Tami must find a way to save them both.

Written by Jordan and Aaron Kandell (Moana), the film alternates between flashback and the present situation, bringing a lyrical tone to the film. In doing so, the film wisely centres the drama on the characters’ love for one another, rather than the storm itself. While there are some who will demand more in terms of the visuals (though the storm scenes are quite intense), the real power of this film stems from the relationship between the two leads. As Tami and Richard, Woodley and Claflin have genuine chemistry that breathes authenticity into the film. Anchoring the film though is Woodley, who portrays Tami with both sensitivity and ferocity. In every scene, she manages to find a balance of her deep love for Richard with courage and strength in the face of overwhelming odds.

Despite the film’s structure as a survival drama, the story opts to emphasize the spiritual power of love through Tami’s journey. Beginning just after the storm, the film quickly rewinds five months to her arrival in Tahiti, where we learn that she is also adrift emotionally. Running from home, Tami has no future plans or ambitions. As a result, she moves through life without any ties to her past and refuses to think too far ahead. However, after meeting Richard, her life finally seems to find an anchor. A free spirit himself, Richard maintains a sense of purpose in his wandering. The two truly serve as soulmates in a way that brings wholeness to their lives and experiences yet it’s Richard who acts as both lover and spiritual guide. As Tami struggles to keep it together, he offers her encouragement in her darkest moments and gives her the strength to keep going. As she battles the storm, he speaks softly into her soul. Here, Richard becomes a Spirit-filled voice, allowing Tami the opportunity to be healed through both love and challenge. He sees beyond her hurt and history and shows her that there’s a future worth striving towards. This sort of Divine unconditional love not only offers Tami the power to continue on but also to be restored.

In the end, Adrift becomes as much about one’s spiritual recovery as it is about sea-faring survival. The authenticity of Woodley’s performance and the depth of Tami and Richard’s relationship keep the film afloat, even in moments where it sometimes hits troubled waters. As solid counterprogramming to superhero films and spaceships, the film is a reminder that love can offer salvation when we find ourselves adrift.

TIFF17: The Mountain Between Us

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The Mountain Between Us tells the story of Alex (Kate Winslet) and Ben (Idris Elba), two strangers who both find themselves stuck in an airport when their respective flights are suddenly cancelled.  Anxious to get to their destination, the two strangers decide to charter a flight together to beat the system.  However, when their pilot (Beau Bridges!) takes ill mid-flight, the plane crashes in the mountains, leaving the two to fend for themselves against all odds in the harshest of conditions.

Shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Mountain features stunning visual photography and, according to the cast, no CGI wizardry.  The film’s emphasis on practical visuals lend credibility to the perils of the wilderness.  While ‘survivalist’ films are nothing new (remember, it was only two years ago that we witnessed DiCaprio make a similar trek in The Revenant), Mountain somehow feels almost fresh due to the strength of its leads.  While no one would doubt their talent, Elba and Winslet work surprisingly well together, creating genuine sexual tension between the two strangers.

At its heart, Mountain is less about surviving the elements and more about what draws us together.  As such, the ‘mountain between them’ becomes more metaphoric than literal as the strangers must navigate the challenges of trusting another person with whom you have no prior relationship.  While other films show sacrifice as the greatest act of love, Mountain recognizes that mutual sacrifice is also a key part of the community.  Winslet’s nosy journalist is a solid foil for Elba’s emotionally stunted Ben as they are forced to decide whether or not they are better off together or alone in their fight to survive.  This strain is further emphasized by the cinematography between the two subjects, as director Abu-Assad consistently places Winslet and Elba in either extreme closeness or distant separation onscreen.  The result is a visual push/pull that emotionally unites the actors in the midst of dire circumstances.

In the end, The Mountain Between Us is a surprisingly engaging piece about what connected us.  By focusing the story on the tension between the two leads, the script allows them to drive the narrative emotionally, which is their strength.  Through solid performances and writing, the film reminds us that the greatest mountains between us are often what we create ourselves.

Special features include “Love and Survival: Creating Chemistry,” “Mountain Between Them: Shooting in Isolation,” “The Wilds: Surviving Stunts,” a director’s commentary by Hany Abu-Assad, and deleted scenes. 

The Martian: Survive or Die (Oscar Spotlight: Best Picture)

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The MartianHumans have, ingrained in their DNA, a desire and longing for community. It started when God realized that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone—his response was to create Eve as a companion and helper (see Genesis 2:18). But what happens if, by some unfortunate series of events, you’re the only one left on the planet—or worse, another planet? You really have two options—survive or die. This is part of the reason why the The Martian is up for a Best Picture nomination at this year’s Academy Awards. Based on the book by Andy Weir, it chronicles the harrowing adventures of astronaut Mark Watney on the planet Mars.  The film is actually up for seven different Oscars (including Matt Damon for Best Actor), but I’m going to focus on the Best Picture award.

First, a reminder of the plot. The Martian begins with an emergency escape from the planet when a massive storm appears at base camp. Five of the six astronauts make it onboard the rescue rover, with Watney left behind for dead after he’s speared by a communications antenna. Miraculously, he survives, but is in a world of hurt as the next mission to the Red Planet isn’t scheduled to arrive for another four years. With a limited supply of food and water, he has to decide what to do.  Watney’s decision: “I’m not going to die here.” Thus, he sets about trying to make life happen, all while recording his escapades via video journals.  His saving grace is that he’s a botanist and knows how to grow things. But that won’t last forever, and when the habitat depressurizes, destroying his crop, the fight for survival becomes more acute.

Watney and his plantsMeanwhile, NASA finally discovers he’s alive (after announcing his death) and sets out creating a plan to get him back, helped by scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Rushing things doesn’t work, as they find out the hard way on their next launch.  Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Bridges) has to try something, and when out of options, gets help in the form of China’s space program. When an astrodynamics student named Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) comes up with a faster way to get Watney—but one that will keep the rescued astronauts in space for another year—the idea is dismissed.  But when it’s covertly shared with the crew, they agree to try it—risking their own lives in the process.  The world holds its collective breath as an unheard of rescue is attempted.

So what makes The Martian worthy of Best Picture status? First off, the landscape and set design is exquisite and conveys a planet of extreme isolation, complete with unpredictable storms and unforgiving terrain. The attention to detail even extends to the scientific terminology used, conveying the possibility that an event like this could feasibly occur.  Dialogue is realistic and doesn’t seem to be forced (outside of a) the constant references to Commander Lewis [Jessica Chastain] and her love of disco and b) the relationship between Johanssen [Kate Mara] and Beck [Sebastian Stan]). Speaking of music, the soundtrack is refreshingly sparse.

Tension is controlled by director Ridley Scott in ways that make the viewer experience a range of emotions—from shock to euphoria. Finally, the acting is on point, with believable and convincing characters (none moreso than Damon’s intriguing portrayal of Watney). As a result, the viewer is transported from the theater into a very delicate situation where one wrong move could mean a loss of lives.

The crew of the HermesOutside of the earlier reference to community, there are also many references to faith found in the film (not that they have any bearing on making a film Best Picture-worthy, but are still nice). The concept of mission is found as Watney emails Commander Lewis a note with the charge to tell his parents, “I’m dying for something big and beautiful and greater than me.” That sure sounds like something the apostle Paul would’ve penned—and probably the other apostles to boot. The ending also allows for the concept of complete trust to have someone save you when you have no ability to do it yourself (see Romans 5:8).

In the end, The Martian is a worthy film to be considered for this year’s Best Picture nomination. Will it win?  I’m not certain, as there are a number of films that take that title as well. But if it succeeds, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. With a compelling story, great acting, and fantastic visuals, you should give this one a viewing if you haven’t already. You’ll understand what it means to truly survive—as well as a few other things along the way.