It was okay. I just wish Edison had put more effort into convincing CGI.
Reviews
2 Reviews
The Mountain Between Us
(2017)
Great potential squandered with a bad script
11 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
There's something just uncomfortable about watching two romantic leads with no chemistry force a romance that doesn't fit. And there's something sad about great actors being wasted on a bad script.
I believe that given the right words to say, Idris and Kate could get the job done. Instead, they're given an awkward, clumsy script that has them going from being irritated by each other one minute to suddenly inseparable the next. Occasionally the dialogue approaches Phantom Menace territory, like the script was a rough draft. The narrative flows from one contrived plot point to the next. They exchange romantic cliches from time to time, and just because they're struggling to survive and some time has passed, we're supposed to accept they just fell in love at some point.
The world of this movie is bizarre in a way I can't quite put my finger on. After we're told 3 weeks have passed it seems like only a few days. The characters do not change or grow in any way. Later in the film they should be starving but they just don't seem phased at all; in fact they've got energy to rip each other's clothes off and make passionate love. They have been starving and hiking for weeks, at this point their muscles are being broken down in order to keep their vital organs alive. I suppose frostbite would be a problem too, but the script doesn't mention it. In fact the cold doesn't really seem to bother them much either. Honestly, it seemed like they'd be just fine the entire winter with the two cans of soup.
I know people giving this movie high scores are miffed by criticisms like this - I saw one saying we shouldn't expect a romantic movie to be so cerebral. Well no, of course not. But I expect it to make sense. These are smart people; I expect them to not behave like sulky tweens during a conflict, and to be more resourceful in saving their own lives. Instead we get a brain surgeon explaining the amygdala to Alex like she's a fourth grader. Are we supposed to be impressed that she took human biology in middle school? "The brain is in the SKULL. It's where we do our thinkies, Alex. The amygdala is where the brain makes feelings. Not in the heart, silly."
I just don't know anymore. Was the script written by an algorithm? HUMAN LOVE MOVIE.exe? The cinematography was nice at least. I want to give this film 2 stars, but the dog was a good boy so 3 it is.
I believe that given the right words to say, Idris and Kate could get the job done. Instead, they're given an awkward, clumsy script that has them going from being irritated by each other one minute to suddenly inseparable the next. Occasionally the dialogue approaches Phantom Menace territory, like the script was a rough draft. The narrative flows from one contrived plot point to the next. They exchange romantic cliches from time to time, and just because they're struggling to survive and some time has passed, we're supposed to accept they just fell in love at some point.
The world of this movie is bizarre in a way I can't quite put my finger on. After we're told 3 weeks have passed it seems like only a few days. The characters do not change or grow in any way. Later in the film they should be starving but they just don't seem phased at all; in fact they've got energy to rip each other's clothes off and make passionate love. They have been starving and hiking for weeks, at this point their muscles are being broken down in order to keep their vital organs alive. I suppose frostbite would be a problem too, but the script doesn't mention it. In fact the cold doesn't really seem to bother them much either. Honestly, it seemed like they'd be just fine the entire winter with the two cans of soup.
I know people giving this movie high scores are miffed by criticisms like this - I saw one saying we shouldn't expect a romantic movie to be so cerebral. Well no, of course not. But I expect it to make sense. These are smart people; I expect them to not behave like sulky tweens during a conflict, and to be more resourceful in saving their own lives. Instead we get a brain surgeon explaining the amygdala to Alex like she's a fourth grader. Are we supposed to be impressed that she took human biology in middle school? "The brain is in the SKULL. It's where we do our thinkies, Alex. The amygdala is where the brain makes feelings. Not in the heart, silly."
I just don't know anymore. Was the script written by an algorithm? HUMAN LOVE MOVIE.exe? The cinematography was nice at least. I want to give this film 2 stars, but the dog was a good boy so 3 it is.
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