Plot: What’s it about?
Archie Grey Owl (Pierce Brosnan) lives and prospers in the wilderness, trapping animals to survive and profit. He serves as a guide to wealthy hunters, and is considered a master of the woods around him. But Grey Owl is not naturally from the wilderness, or the Indian tribes in the surrounding areas. Archie Grey Owl is really from England, and has no trace of Indian heritage in his blood, but he knew he didn’t belong there, he was only at home in the wilderness. But this fact is unknown to most people, and Grey Owl lives as if he was a half breed, in peace with both white men and the Indians. In addition to hunting and trapping, Grey Owl also writes articles about the wilderness, which are published in various outdoorsman magazines. He soon meets Pony (Annie Galipeau), a young woman who wants to return to her Indian roots and live in the wild, and quickly, she takes a liking to Grey Owl. One day while checking the traps, Grey Owl notices a beaver has been trapped, but pulled the trap loose, which means he loses both the trap and the beaver. Pony sees two small beavers all by themselves, and stops Grey Owl from killing them, by promising to raise them herself. Grey Owl finds himself becoming attached to the little guys, and finally at Pony’s request, he swears off trapping. He then uses all his resources to mount a campaign on behalf of the beavers and the wilderness as a whole, to save the land of the Indians, before it’s too late.
This is the kind of disc and movie I like to review. A great movie issued in a blockbuster special edition. I hadn’t seen the film before this review, so I was not sure what to expect. The thought of Pierce Brosnan as part of an Indian operation seemed a bit far fetched. But by the time the credits rolled, I was pleased with all facets of the movie, especially Brosnan’s performance. The movie has striking cinematography, with awesome nature and ceremony shots. The story is based on a real man, so the impact of the movie was a little greater for me than had it been fictional. And after I finished the movie, I took some time to explore the special features, and found myself spending hours enjoying them. This is a total experience, you learn so much from the extras, it makes the next viewing of the film that much better. I recommend this movie and disc to all you readers, as it is a powerful piece of filmmaking, made even better by a fantastic treatment on DVD.
This is where I usually discuss the cast and crew of the film, but this section will be shorter than usual, due to the unique casting here. Pierce Brosnan is the main focus, with only one other actor getting significant screen time. There is a large number of people appearing, but only these two are shown enough to really talk about. Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair, Mrs. Doubtfire) gives an excellent performance here, one of his best. I used to have a hard time buying Brosnan as anyone but James Bond or Remington Steele, but he has proven himself in my eyes. He shows impressive charisma and depth here, successfully carrying the entire film. Playing his lover is Annie Galipeau (Map of the Human Heart), who is good, but damn voice gets annoying. She plays the role with a perfect wide eyed innocence however, so I won’t be too harsh on her. Richard Attenborough directed Grey Owl, and he has also helmed Gandhi and Chaplin, among other films.
Video: How does it look?
Grey Owl is presented in a gorgeous 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Let me start by saying that this film utilizes some beautiful cinematography, with scenic wilderness shots and some impressive Indian ceremonies, so the visuals were the top priority in my book with this disc. Thankfully, this transfer is excellent, and has no major problems, resulting in a sharp, wonderful image. The colors are lush, with bright hues, even though the film uses a more natural spectrum of color. The Indian dances around the fire are bathed in a stunning glow, which really makes these segments leap right off the screen. Black levels are correct, with high visible detail and strong shadow layering. The disc is also free of all but minor compression errors.
Audio: How does it sound?
The disc uses a Dolby Digital 5.1 track for audio, and it is decent, but has some flaws. First, the good side of this track. The surrounds are used well, with some nice subtle effects employed. The surrounds won’t be used all the time, but when they are, the sound is full and acceptable. The music comes through wonderfully with this track, retaining a rich texture. Now, the bad news. This is a minor point, but the volume of the dialogue seems to be a little low. Not to an extreme degree, but I did have to fiddle with the remote at times to make sure I could hear the speakers. The dialogue is crisp, it’s just a little on the quiet side.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Columbia has issued Grey Owl as a special edition, and it is jam packed with bonus materials. First off, some usual suspects are included, such as talent files, the teaser and theatrical trailers, and a Grey Owl trivia game. Although it’s a small feature, I enjoy the teaser trailers, and applaud Columbia for including it here. Since this movie is based on a true story, the disc has a small section about the real Grey Owl, consisting of two brief featurettes and a text biography file. The two featurettes are excellent, showing some old newsreel footage of Grey Owl. You also get some interviews with the cast and crew, which make for an interesting listen. There are two featurettes included, one a simple promotional piece, the other a nice behind the scenes segment. Rounding out the disc are two running commentaries, one by director Richard Attenborough, the other by producer Jack Eberts. If you enjoyed the movie, you won’t want to miss these informative tracks.
