OK, so I finally decided I would put this thing back up again as I think people trust others more wh...
OK, so I finally decided I would put this thing back up again as I think people trust others more when they know something about them! So, i'm a student of the 'young gifted and broke' variety, who has an interest in reading and writing.
Member since:01.01.2001
Reviews:27
Members who trust:14
Ok, so the last time Tom Hanks teamed up with Robert Zemeckis was on the multi oscar winning 'Forrest Gump' which is most probably one of Hanks' best performances ever. As such I was expecting big things from this film despite doubts about the storyline being fairly simplistic.
I'm afraid to say that I was fairly dissapointed by this film. The pace was slow throughout and I didn't think that the storyline seemed to get very far. This is a fairly insubstantial film (even though it lasted over two and a half hours) which didn't leave much of an impression on me when I left the cinema.
However, there is definitely a lot to praise in this film. Tom Hanks is as watchable as ever, and it seems the method acting seems to have worked. They actually made the film in two parts: for the first part Hanks got all beefed up, then Zemeckis directed 'What Lies Beneath' in the time it took Hanks to starve himself and grow a large beard. This is a very effective change for Hanks and it definitely seems to get him into character, however, i did find it hard to get past Hanks the actor and i don't think his role in this film will win him many awards (purely because he doesn't have enough dialogue).
I was also quite surprised by the amount of humour in this film. Hanks seems to be quite a proficient comedian and a lot of the audience in the theatre (including myself) where amused by a lot of Hanks' exploits. I particularly liked the way he befriended a Wilson volleyball (he found it in a Fed Ex parcel) which he very aptly calls Mr Wilson (it was funny at the time)! He talks to this ball and it helps the audience find out what the character is thinking - cleverly done.
I was also pleased by the way Zemeckis avoids a lot of the cliches which could be associated with - a man stuck on a dessert island thing - and he does a few original things. I found it refreshing that the ending was not overly soppy, that the island was not a tropical paradise (only a rock outcrop), they used a real company (Fed Ex - it adds to the realism), and that there is not a lot of music throughout a lot of the film. This absence of a score adds to the feeling of isolation well and is very effective. Zemeckis seems to concentrate on the theme of a man finding himself spiritually, and coping in very harsh circumstances, which i think is a good angle and works well.
Overall, this is a good film - i'm not denying that. However, despite its originality and inspired direction, it just doesn't live up to the hype and is not as gripping as something like Forrest Gump. I would advise against seeing this if you are looking to be really entertained, but if you don't like the look of much else on, this will be time well wasted. Hanks gives a great performance but it might just be a bit too insubstantial and slow for my liking.
Happy (nice) viewing!
MC
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Advantages: brilliant acting, great special effects, tonnes of special features, cheap Disadvantages: feels as if special effects are prioty over acting, storyline wasn't as good
![Cast Away [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/80615837.jpg "Cast Away [DVD] [2001]")
Jan 13th, 2001
(Jan 22nd, 2001)
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![Cast Away (2 Disc Set) [DVD] [2001]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78548822.jpg)
