5.0 out of 5 stars
Hanks is superb, Feb 29 2012
This review is from: Cast Away [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)
Cast Away (2000)
Drama, 143 minutes
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was probably the biggest box office draw for around 10 years, starting with Philadelphia in 1993. Like Meryl Streep, his performances haven't always won the awards they deserved. We expect excellence from Hanks and Streep, and it's never easy to add an Oscar after you have already won twice. Cast Away sees Hanks give one of his best performances, and that's saying a lot.
The opening part of the film introduces us to the life of Chuck Noland (Hanks). He works for FedEx and is obsessed with time. Everything has to happen according to schedule or he considers himself a failure. Noland is in love with Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt), but his life is too busy for him to make her his main priority. They have to exchange Christmas gifts in the car on their way to the airport because he doesn't make time for anything more significant. This is a common theme in the lives of too many people. We rush around, earning as much money as we can, barely slowing down long enough to spend time with the people we love. You don't miss it until it's gone.
Noland's plane crashes and he's the sole survivor. He manages to swim ashore and finds himself alone on an island. This isn't a new idea, but the execution is excellent. Noland is used to a comfortable life and has to learn how to survive in his new surroundings. Where will he live? What will he eat? Will he need to protect himself? What if he's ill or in pain? How will he remain sane? How will he escape and make his way back to civilization?
I enjoy Cast Away because it's such a peaceful movie. All we hear are natural sounds while Noland is trapped on the island. There isn't even any musical score during this extended sequence. It helps us realize what it is like to be completely alone. How would we adapt and survive? Would we have the mental strength to seek escape? It's an examination of how human beings think, and that always appeals to me.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
One Of Tom Hanks' Best Performances, Feb 17 2012
I love Sole Survivor type movies and have watched Cast Away many times. Tom Hanks is great in this role. As the only charactor for a large portion of the film, he manages to keep you interested and focussed as well as wondering how you would fare in a similar situation. One cannot help but empathize with his charactor as he struggles to survive and feel elated when he is finally rescued many years later. His returning home a changed man with a new outlook on life is not surprising.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best stories ever told, Jan 2 2012
How can a modern human live without modern technology? Are we even capable of surviving on this Earth without a phone or (let's get basic) without iron or flint or domestic plants? And what would a man do without a companion, as if stranded on an island alone in the middle of the enormous ocean?
These are timeless questions and it is a very human story. Tom Hanks and crew have told this story beautifully. I have watched it many times and I will happily watch it many more.
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