Definitely a favourite

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2013)

Cast Away stars Tom Hanks and, more importantly, a very special volleyball, a.k.a. my beloved Wilson. I love this movie because it's dramatic and inspiring but also because it's not utterly swamped down with swells of dramatic music. In fact, the whole time Hanks's character is on the island, there is no music, and this actually has a profound and unique effect. Don't get me wrong, I love a good soundtrack, but sometimes I think that there is definite overkill with music in scenes that don't necessarily need it.
I loved seeing the slow, forced transformation of Hanks's character throughout the movie. He went from sort of chubby, overworked and neglectful of his health to this hardened survivor with a huge, bushy beard. He even has to knock his own abscessed tooth out on his own, when back home he had the opportunity to go to the dentist and have painkillers and do it the "easy" way.
The only spot where some people feel this movie fell down was the ending, where Hanks's character makes it back to the US and his true love. But to be honest I think the ending was great. I don't believe it was an overdone Hollywood ending, and it also gave me hope for Hanks's character's future. It helps that he didn't get back with his love, because she had moved on with a family of her own. I actually found it quite wrenching.
All in all, I think this is a really well done movie. And I still love Wilson.