A Thoughtful and Moving Film

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2002)

"Cast Away" is, at once, both a simple and a complex film. At its core, it is the story of a man who survives a plane crash and lives for four years alone on a deserted Pacific island. But it also deals with the profound changes in its hero's life after his rescue, wrought by four years in isolation under circumstances that had long ago convinced all his friends and loved ones that he was dead. In a role in which many actors might have been tempted to eat the scenery, Tom Hanks is restrained and always believable. "Cast Away" avoids easy answers, so it is ultimately ambiguous and a little sad -- as parts of all of our lives are ambiguous and a little sad.
Not to be missed. 10 out of 10.