“The Grey” isn’t for the weak.
It’s a tense and bleak study of man versus nature featuring sub-freezing temperatures and menacing packs of wolves.
But with Liam Neeson starring as Ottway, a member of an Alaskan-based oil-drilling team who assumes direction of the group after their plane crashes in the frigid outposts, "The Grey" is obviously a bit deeper.
The movie, which was filmed in about 40 days in Smithers, British Columbia, cost about $30 million to make, Neeson said.
While it’s being heavily marketed as an action movie featuring Neeson as a steely-eyed scrapper daring those snarling wolves to make a meal out of him and his comrades, “The Grey” also digs into themes such as fate, faith and trust among men.
In a recent phone interview from California, Neeson and co-star Frank Grillo (“Warrior”) who plays loudmouth contrarian Diaz in the film, talked about the emotion in the movie, those frigid temperatures and their favorite flicks of 2011.
Q: What drew you to such a bleak role in such bleak surroundings?
A: Neeson: For me, [the script] read like a 19th Century epic poem, like 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.' It was beautiful. There's no cars, no computers, no texting, no iPhone. It's a throwback to those early films of the '60s and '70s, Jeremiah Johnson, Redford – you know, a bunch of guys facing each other and their inner demons. Pure man versus nature.
Grillo: The script off the bat was perfect. [Director] Joe [Carnahan] said Liam was doing it and I said, 'I'll do any role you want.' But it's the same thing for me – the script was such a great, primal piece for men to explore those themes that men are afraid to talk about.
Q: Was regrouping with Joe, your director on “The A-Team”, a reason to do the film, Liam?
A: Neeson: I love a director who has that alpha quality. Katherine Bigelow has it, too, by the way. I love a leader and Joe is certainly that. In the environs we were shooting in, we needed someone in charge.
Q: Was it as bone-chillingly cold as it appeared?
A: Neeson: The first week was minus 40 [degrees], and I'm not exaggerating. I remember my first day of shooting, my character is sitting in the snow after the plane wreck and I thought, 'There is no way we're going to be able to film this movie.' It was so cold, equipment was freezing.
Grillo: It was a challenge, and hats off to the crew. They kept that thing running. It's really a testament to Joe putting together this group of people.
Q: Were those animatronic wolves or CGI [computer-generated imagery]?
A: Neeson: There's very little CGI. Joe was insistent on that. There's a lot of animatronics and puppetry.
Q: Liam, did you view Ottway as a tragic figure, like, what else could go wrong for this guy?
A: I played him pretty much as me, really. I didn't really think of him at all as a character. I said to Joe early on, if you do cast me, I don't want to do a full American accent. I want to be as basic as I can, so can I be Irish? I'm glad he agreed. And with the character's emotional challenges, with my recent history, I was able to access that.
Q: Was it difficult to play someone who had just lost his wife?
A: Neeson: It really helped, actually. It helped to have actors like Frank with you on this journey.
Grillo: We all formed this close bond from the first day. We took care of each other. Liam took care of us and vice-versa – and it continues to be like that. That was part of the beauty of the movie.
Q: With the Oscars coming up, what did each of you think was the best movie of last year?
A: Grillo: A little movie by my friend Thomas McCartney called 'Win-Win.'
Q: Liam, what about you?
A: Neeson: I've actually seen very few movies lately. I did like 'Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy' and I enjoyed 'The Artist' very much.
Q: It really is a charming movie, isn’t it? And the lead actress [Bérénice Bejo] is just stunning.
A: Neeson: Oh my goodness, isn't she, though? Have you interviewed her yet?
Q: No, I have not.
A: Neeson: If you do, tell her I'm available!
