This tale about a man and his dog is a harrowing experience. Its intensity is near relentless and gives you little respite until the final credits roll. It also shows Brad Pitt’s growth as an actor, delivering a performance that ranks among his finest. He and his dog Odin are alone together in almost every scene, and they fill the screen with emotion.
Pitt plays James Belmont, a grizzled military veteran with as many mental scars as those that cover his body. His only companion is Odin, a German Shepherd who is himself a retired military combat dog. He too wears the scars of war with titanium teeth and a prosthetic leg. Odin also suffers from PTSD and has nightmares. Their bond is an unbreakable one forged in battle.
The story begins with Belmont and Odin flying a small aircraft to an incredibly beautiful and isolated river in the wilderness of Alaska. A small respite of their solitude is provided by the appearance of a mountain man character played by J. K. Simmons. His presence has an undertone of danger. When a storm rolls in, Belmont and Odin fly out. During this flight, Belmont suffers a heart attack and the plane crashes, thus beginning the survivalist journey back to civilisation.
The threats to life and limb during this journey are absolutely relentless and rivet your attention. Even though the task seems superhuman, things are kept in the realm of human ability. You grow to absolutely admire the bond between human and canine and the love and care that they feel for each other. You become incredibly invested in their outcome, and at the film’s end it takes you some time to return to normal. This is filmmaking at its most compelling.
Rob Hudson
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