“Cast Away” is a different experience of its own kind, with a novel concept and an unique storyline. The movie is not an usual drama or love story as you may expect, but on the contrary it’s a film entirely based only on a single character. Hard to believe, but it’s true that in major part of the movie, Tom Hanks is there alone on the screen, talking with the nature and a ball.
The plot is about a young energetic person (Tom Hanks), living a happy life with his lady love (Helen Hunt). While flying for a professional tour, his aircraft meets an accident and gets crashed into the ocean. Being the only visible survivor, he reaches an abandoned island and now has to find a way to get out of the absurd situation. Sadly, he is not able to find a solution and has to live on the island alone for four long years. A real scary plot it is, acted superbly by Tom Hanks and directed intelligently by Robert Zemeckis.
It’s indeed tough to make an entertaining movie with only a single character there to play around. But here, both the actor and the director, break the normal mould of movie making and deliver a fine, polished, intellectual product for the lovers of cinema. The way, they have conceived the solitary moments lived by Tom Hanks on the island alone are worth watching for every single appreciator of the art. And the professional commitment of Tom Hanks, to play the character living 4 long years on an island alone is simply remarkable.
Realistically any person living alone on an island, surviving only on coconuts and fish is bound to have an extremely thin body in years. So, to give it an authentic feel, Tom Hanks took the challenge, worked hard for months and turned himself into an unrecognizable figure as seen in the picture on the left. The method acting art followed by the veteran in the movie is like an essential text book material for every student of film-making.
Cast Away, also scores on the emotional level as it has a philosophical climax, depicting the bitter truths of life when people tend to change with time and circumstances. The movie takes an unexpected turn when Tom gets rescued after four years, returns to his normal life and meets his lady love again. For his friends and relatives he was a dead person and now as he returns, he is made to witness some unpleasant changes in the characters of his loved ones, leaving him alone again in the crowded city.
But, instead of making it sad, the director keeps the spirit of life alive, with the small doses of humor incorporated smartly towards the end. For instance, when Tom returns to his old life, one of his friends says, “We had a funeral and a coffin for you”. And to this Tom laughs and replies, “What was in it?”……… A true masterpiece, representing commitment towards your passion, simply not to be missed.
Directed By Robert Zemeckis
Starring : Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt & more.
Tags :
Cast Away, Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt, Experimental Movie, One Man Movie, Alone on an Island, Robert Zemeckis, Method Acting, Movies To See Before You Die, Must See Movies List By Bobby Sing
