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| The intense, exciting poster for Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Bear |
QUICK REVIEW:
A young bear in British Columbia loses his mother, when a rock-slide buries her, but luckily, he attaches himself to a huge grizzly bear. Nature, however, poses many dangers, none the least in the form of human hunters.
The Bear is a staggering accomplishment, because its leads are played by real bears doing all kinds of things and taking us emotionally into their world. This deeply impressive performance is told through a narrative, which is treated with crystal clear structure and lots of suspense and heart-rendering scenes. The Bear wisely never lets you sit back and wonder what you're doing getting involved in a movie about bears. But you do wonder how the footage was caught and the ordeals that must have been involved.
The alienation that I and most audiences feel against the 'evil' humans fortunately SPOILER gets mended in the end in a sweet but unsentimental ending. The balancing act of The Bear's storyline is outstanding.
The Bear doesn't say anything as such, (much as it is largely free of dialog and a score), and the dream sequences in it are primitive (and psychedelic), but the experience as a whole is unique, the nature grand and the tale gripping.
A fantastic film, ideal for family watch, bigger kids (age 6) upwards.
The French director of this French film, - which was shot almost entirely in the Italian and Austrian Dolomites, - is Jean-Jacques Annaud, who has made films like The Name of the Rose (1986) and Seven Years in Tibet (1997). He is working on a large adaptation set in China and Mongolia now, Wolf Totem, set to come out next year.
Related post:
Top 10: The best adventure movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Some images from the movie:
Watch the trailer for this fine film here
Budget: Unknown
Box office: 31.7 mil. $ (US only)
= Almost certainly a huge success
What do you think of The Bear?
Can you mention other fine films with animals in the leads?
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