Slow but engaging drama that is driven by Hanks' brave performance

Rating: Null/10 (30 December 2003)

Chuck Noland is a driven employee of Fed-Ex. He has a loving girlfriend and a lifestyle that sees him travelling the world. When he takes an overnight flight across the Pacific, his plane crashes killing the crew but he escapes on an inflatable dingy. Washing up on an island Chuck finds himself shipwrecked and must survive until he is found.
I wasn't won over by the idea of this film when it came out at the cinema and gave it a miss. However on TV I'm graceful enough to give anything a chance for free! In this case I had no hype or bad reviews about the film to colour what I thought of it, coming to it fresh enough to have an open mind. Fortunately I was in a patient mood and looking forward to seeing it, so it didn't bother me that the film was very slow, although I can understand why some audiences were straining at the leash for more pace. For me the story itself was interesting enough as a human story to defy `things happening' - it was Chuck I was watching the film for, not a fight scene or a dramatic rescue.
For this reason the film succeeds - to me it was dramatic and engaging on a character level and, because things were always happening to Chuck, I didn't need some constant bit of plot to be happening. The film is quite brave in that way and, while other reviewers have criticised the ending, I thought it displayed good taste and control - imagine trying to get that ending through a pitch or a preview audience! Most films would have looked for a more positive and conclusive ending - but this one was very good.
Hanks does great work to hold the attention for the whole film - he is barely off screen for a minute of the whole 120+ minutes. His performance is good; whether he is acting normal or talking to a volley ball he is convincing and never dull, he makes it very easy for us to get into his character and his situation - which was vital to keep the audience interested.
Overall I really enjoyed this film but I do feel you need to be ready for what you're sitting down to. It is slow paced and, if you're impatient, then you may feel like `nothing's happening'. Hanks does great to hold the audience otherwise and the film is grown up and lacking in the sort of syrupy smaltz that could have killed the film. Not perfect but an great story well told if you're in a patient mood.