Explore
 Lists  Reviews  Images  Update feed
Categories
MoviesTV ShowsMusicBooksGamesDVDs/Blu-RayPeopleArt & DesignPlacesWeb TV & PodcastsToys & CollectiblesComic Book SeriesBeautyAnimals   View more categories »
Listal logo

Not a film to cast away...

Posted : 1 year, 4 months ago on 16 November 2022 04:21

Quite the opposite. Admire both Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks, and honestly feel that 'Cast Away' is among the best work of both. It is long and the opposite of feel good, but utterly riveting, thanks to the bold risk-taking and Hanks giving a performance for the ages.

'Cast Away' has been criticised by some for having an unsatisfying ending. It is understandable as to why it is polarising, and why it is seen as inconclusive and depressing to some wanting something happy. Count me in as somebody who found the ending incredibly powerful and who cannot fail to tear up. Have been picky about endings recently and the inconclusive nature didn't bother me that much and actually appreciated that it was more downbeat rather than happy, who to me would have felt a little too on the pat side.

There are so many great things about 'Cast Away' that help make it quite a superb film. Zemeckis' direction is some of his boldest, there are some courageous risks taken like his use of camera work and done in an ingenious way and not overdone. Even better is Hanks' one for the ages almost one-man show performance, sometimes not saying much but expressing a lot in a nuanced way. He is instrumental in making the island and his resilience in struggling to survive riveting viewing and he does so phenomenally.

It is a very well made film too, beautifully and cleverly photographed, atmospherically lit and with a lovingly created island setting. They blend so well with the film's tone and with its boldness. The score avoids from being overwrought, while there is a beautifully constructed script that provokes a lot of thought and wide range of emotions. While deliberately paced, the story is an engrossing one, with a excellently harrowing plane crash and the very telling section on the island that to me didn't drag at all even with events being a little on the slight side. Plus there aren't many times when you feel so much for a volleyball, you do here.

While the other characters aren't as well written or as interesting as Hanks', it is not in a way to bring down the film in any way. Helen Hunt makes a moving impression even with limited screen time, her meeting with Hanks one of the film's most powerful moments.

In conclusion, a powerful, bold and superbly acted, directed and made film that is moving without the audience being forced or manipulated into feeling so. 10/10 Bethany Cox


0 comments, Reply to this entry

Cast Away (2000) review

Posted : 5 years, 1 month ago on 7 February 2019 03:19

Quizás es más sencilla de lo que yo quisiera, sobretodo tomando en cuenta su duración. Entiendo que sobretodo en el año 2000 esto podría transmitir mejor el sentimiento de estar tanto tiempo en una isla sin nada que hace, pero para estándares de hoy puede tornarse un poco aburrida en ese sentido. Sin embargo, la actuación del protagonista no solo me pareció muy buena, sino que además el guión le da muchas oportunidades para destacarse poniendo la cordura de su personaje a pender de un hilo.
La recomiendo para cualquier persona que quiera ver una película calmada e interesante con sutiles toques de humor.


0 comments, Reply to this entry

One of the best movies of 2000

Posted : 9 years, 12 months ago on 1 April 2014 08:00

'Cast Away' is one of the best movies of 2000! Why? Well it's got a great screenplay, some great directing from Robert Zemeckis and a showcase performance from Tom Hanks

Honestly, back then Tom Hanks was a very successful actor and he gave great performances but this time, he was really on fire!

"I have made fire"



No, your performance is ON fire! Big difference!

Chuck Noland (Hanks) is a FedEx employee who is the only survivor in a plane crash, he ends up on an island with some cargo which helps him survive! Now that sounds very interesting but it was just really well written how he had to talk to a volleyball Wilson by wounding his hand, throwing a volleyball and giving it features!

Now in 95% of the movie, Tom Hanks has all the dialogue and the rest of the cast haven't many scenes at all! Wilson hasn't any dialogue but is on screen more than anyone (except Hanks of course) and I thought Tom Hanks and Wilson made arguably the best screen couple of the year!

So how does Chuck survive? Well he finds in the cargo; a party dress, ice skates, video tapes and a volleyball. The party dress comes in handy as a tent, the ice skates give Chuck the ability to split coconuts open (and later his tooth, ugh!), the video tapes come in handy at the end of his time on the island holding parts of the raft together! The volleyball becomes his best friend and becomes the second main character Wilson!

So 'Cast Away' has some gorgeous cinematography and is much more impressive than 'The Beach' for sure! But Robert Zemeckis provides some great directing!

So let's look at the supporting cast; Helen Hunt plays Chuck's girlfriend who is about to propose marriage before Chuck goes on his plane. But when Chuck returns four years later, everyone thought Chuck was dead and held a funeral!

When Chuck delivers a package, no one answers so he leaves a note saying it saved his life. He then leaves and stops at a crossroad. A woman passing by stops to explain where the roads lead. She drives away when Chuck notices the illustration on her truck is identical to the one on the parcel. Chuck is left looking down each road and then toward the departing woman in the truck. He's probably thinking that this is a fresh start! And that's a very clever idea! But overall 'Cast Away' is a masterpiece and Tom Hanks' best performance!


0 comments, Reply to this entry

A good movie

Posted : 10 years, 5 months ago on 17 October 2013 02:13

I already saw this movie but since it was a while back, I thought I might as well check it out again. Well, before the damned thing was released, there was actually some buzz about it because it was the first time since ‘Forrest Gump’ that Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks were working together. Eventually, this time again, Hanks would be nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Academy Award. Eventually, it was rather well received by the critics, even though it didn’t become such a huge phenomenon like ‘Forrest Gump’. Anyway, even though I don’t think it was really amazing, I still liked the damned thing, more than ‘Forrest Gump’ as a matter of fact. Basically, the story was divided in 4 chapters (before the plane crash, the survival on the island, the escape on a raft and the return home) and all these chapters worked fairly well, thanks to a really solid performance by Tom Hanks. Above all, the whole time that Tom Hanks sat alone on this island, only with this volleyball to talk to, was pretty impressive. On the other hand, the 2nd time around I watched this flick, I was thinking that there was slightly too much focus on ‘Wilson’. Basically, even if it have might seemed like a great way to show the psychological turmoil of the main character, it was eventually more a trick to make sure that Hanks didn’t spend more than half of the movie without saying a word. Furthermore, I’m still not sure about the constant usage of FedEx. Indeed, on one hand, it was nice to see a movie character with a real job and, thanks to the FedEx packages, the main character had some nice stuff to improve his difficult situation. However, on the other hand, it was just weird and hardly appropriate to see all these FedEx logos constantly through the whole duration, even on a freaking desert island. Anyway, to conclude, even if it was nothing really ground-breaking, it was still pretty damned entertaining and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.



0 comments, Reply to this entry

Cast Away (2000) review

Posted : 11 years, 9 months ago on 9 June 2012 04:36

Tom Hanks's first strongest work after Forrest Gump, this Robert Zemeckis directed flick is a true winner. He has done 2 live-films with Hanks, above mentioned, and both are solid winners. Cast Away is one of those performance driven films with a heavy dramatic tone to it and several emotional scenes which makes you glad that you're not in their shoes, in this case, Chuck Noland, the film's hero.

I loved the film and the use of just one character for the majority of the film and Tom Hanks is an actor who can move you dramatically and emotionally and he excellently does both. Within just 20 minutes into his arrival on the island you start feeling for his character and start associating yourself with him. Aren't we really all stuck in our own private islands desperate to get out? That's right, whether we admit it or not, we're all stuck and Cast Away spells it out for us. I liked the fact that the hero was a simple, mild-mannered everyman and not some millionaire or rich tycoon of some sort. It made the story much more believable and everything seemed plausible. And is it me or did the last few minutes seemed too similar to Forrest Gump?

Anyway, this film is not to be viewed while eating, believe me. If you're a fan of long scenes with minimal dialogues or excellent acting, then give this a go because if you stop it mid-way, it would be a terrible shame...

9.0/10


0 comments, Reply to this entry

Cast Away

Posted : 12 years, 4 months ago on 29 November 2011 11:23

United States, 2000
U.S. Release Date: 12/22/00 (wide)
Running Length: 2:24
MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Harrowing material, mild profanity)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Seen at: Ritz Five, Philadelphia

Cast: Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Producers: Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Tom Hanks, Jack Rapke
Screenplay: William Broyles Jr.
Cinematography: Don Burgess
Music: Alan Silvestri
U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox

I'm sure there will be wags who will glibly compare Cast Away to the likes of "Gilligan's Island" and "Survivor", but, in tone, approach, and overall accomplishment, this atypical Robinson Crusoe tale bears a strong resemblance to one of director Robert Zemeckis' earlier efforts, Contact. No, Cast Away isn't about space or messages from another planet, but, at its core, neither was Contact. Both films ask the same crucial existential question, one that Shakespeare pondered for years: taking all things into account, what does it mean to be human? How do we cope with loss, hopelessness, and isolation, and still find the courage to face the next day? The love and dream of a dead father sustained Jodie Foster's character in Contact. For Tom Hanks' Chuck Noland in Cast Away, it is the promise offered by the smile of his equally absent - and equally beloved - wife-to-be.

The last time Zemeckis and Hanks teamed up, a legend was born - the idiot savant Forrest Gump. A brilliantly conceived trip through the latter half of the 20th century, Forrest Gump was part folksy feel-good drama and part well-concealed satire. The 1994 blockbuster offers much more than its detractors, and even some of its supports, acknowledge. Those expecting Zemeckis and Hanks to re-examine the same territory in Cast Away will be surprised - aside from the films' Oscar potential, there's little synergy. Cast Away will not be the crowd-pleaser that Forrest Gump was, but it's a deeper, more rewarding experience. And, just when you think it's over, it defies expectations and metamorphoses into something different and more compelling.

The year is 1995. Chuck Noland is an overworked Federal Express exec who zips from country to country troubleshooting problems and streamlining operations. His mantra is to do anything necessary to get a package to its destination on time. In his younger days, he was known for having stolen a kid's bicycle to make a delivery after his truck broke down. Fresh from a trip to Russia, Chuck is enjoying Christmas dinner with his girlfriend, Kelly (Helen Hunt), and his family, when a call comes in: he's needed in Malaysia. A short time later, he's airborne, flying through stormy skies over the South Pacific. Suddenly, the plane is off course, there's an explosion, and Chuck finds himself underwater in the belly of a crashed plane. An inflatable life raft carries him to the surface and bears him to a deserted tropical island, where he learns that survival without the trappings of civilization is far more difficult than it's made out to be in books, on television, and in the movies. There may not be any humans on the island, but something is making noise in the jungle at night. And how is he to obtain food and fresh water? Without proper tools, simple tasks like opening a coconut or making a fire become herculean efforts.

Cast Away is divided into three clearly-defined acts: the setup, the main story, and the aftermath. Although the movie's centerpiece is the 75-minute portion detailing Chuck's experiences while marooned, it's the third act, which offers no easy solutions for difficult situations, that elevates the film from the level of a stirring, innovative adventure to an fully satisfying drama. This is the film Red Planet could have been if it had possessed the guts to challenge viewers rather than saddle them with a worn-out, regurgitated plot.

The plane crash which occurs during the first half-hour is handled differently from almost any aerial disaster I have seen in a motion picture. Zemeckis employs digital effects, but not to show the crash (he uses them primarily afterwards, to generate Perfect Storm-style waves). We see events unfold from inside the plane, amidst the wind and darkness, and it results in an eerie and genuinely unsettling situation. Then, once Chuck is in the water, the sense of danger is palpable - especially during one unforgettable moment when the plane's spinning propeller is bearing down upon his small life raft.

The scenes on the island are presented with uncommon intelligence (unlike similar events chronicled in the lame Six Days, Seven Nights, which used similar circumstances). We follow Chuck on his step-by-step journey of survival, where even the smallest things, like getting a drink of coconut milk or using MacGyver-like ingenuity to devise a tool, become significant accomplishments. Zemeckis' approach to this segment of the film is flawless. He never cuts away from Chuck - there are no "back in Memphis" scenes that would have broken the mood, nor is there any incidental music. For more than an hour, the only sounds heard are the island's natural noises (and a little dialogue as Chuck starts talking to a volley ball that becomes his lone "companion"). Also, the script doesn't cook up any hard-to-swallow, melodramatic situations or artificial conflicts. In fact, those expecting a routine adventure film may be disappointed. Cast Away is always interesting, but not necessarily in a traditional manner.

By the time the 30-minute epilogue arrives, we are already deeply attached to Chuck's character - a fact that makes the final dilemma harder to cope with. Once again, Zemeckis and screenwriter William Broyles Jr avoid the melodramatic, manipulative clichés that could have reduced Cast Away to a lesser film. They remain true to the characters and situations until the end, which involves literal and figurative crossroads. There is a catharsis of sorts, but it will not be definitive enough to satisfy all viewers.

For the level of his work in Cast Away, it wouldn't surprise me if Hanks earned another Oscar nomination. The movie's success rests with him, since he is on screen by himself for more than half of the running time. It's one thing for an actor to triumph by playing off others; it's another thing altogether for him to excel with no one else around and virtually no dialogue to speak. In addition, the physical changes that Hanks had to go through to play the part are dramatic - he was forced to gain and lose weight quickly and in extraordinary amounts (so much so that a "weight loss trainer" is credited at the end). An actor willing to go through the rigors Hanks endured is certainly worthy of some kind of notice, especially when he turns in a top-notch performance.

The only other significant player is Helen Hunt, who has become ubiquitous in motion pictures now that "Mad About You" is behind her. This is her fourth film in four months (the other three: Dr. T and the Women, Pay It Forward, and What Women Want). This time, she's more of a supporting player, but, despite limited screen time, she manages to develop Kelly into a flesh-and-blood individual, which is crucial to the movie's emotional underpinning. Of all Hunt's recent outings, this is easily her strongest work.

For as long as he works in Hollywood, Robert Zemeckis will be associated with Forrest Gump. As good a film as that was, it does not represent his finest work. In many ways, both Contact and Cast Away are stronger and more compelling features. During a year that has not been known for strong theater-going experiences, Cast Away stands near the top of the heap. It has all the hallmarks of a great motion picture: well-developed characters, solid drama, non-traditional adventure, and an intelligent script. At nearly two and one-half hours, it's the perfect length - not too long and not too short. Whether or not Cast Away earns any Oscar nominations, it's among my picks as one of the best films of the year.


0 comments, Reply to this entry

Cast Away (2000) review

Posted : 13 years, 8 months ago on 1 August 2010 05:27

They said it was risky to have one character throughout the whole movie. But with an actor like Tom Hanks, how can you go wrong? You can't. Cast Away is an amazing movie. It's kind of like 2001. It so quiet that sometimes, you just get lost in it. There is probably more character development in this movie than in any other movie I've seen, and there's pretty much one character! The character from the beginning of the movie and the character in the end seem like two completely different people. Don't try to deny the fact that you were at least a little sad when he lost Wilson. It is underrated and was snubbed. My suggestion: See it. I don't care how, rent it, buy, get it off netflix or whatever. Just see it, you won't regret it. 9.5


0 comments, Reply to this entry

Very inspiring, courageous film!

Posted : 14 years ago on 10 March 2010 03:20

Cast Away is a film that I thought was just an absolutely outstanding adventure with a real taste for cinema experience and experiences in life as well. Some people might not like Cast Away because they would find it boring or just really slow because Tom Hanks is the only person who actually talks in this film. In my opinion, Cast Away is a film that deserves to be watched not only because of the story but because of the cinematic experience it gives to the viewers. Cast Away is a film that is pretty unpredictable because you don't know what's going to happen to Chuck Noland on that island of whether he survives and escapes the island or whether he dies and starves to death. Cast Away doesn't totally focus on Chuck's business and why he was on the trip it just focuses on what the odds are for him to survive and what the odds are for him to die. This film is pretty intense because you really feel for Chuck and want him to return back normally but you will have to wait and see yourself.


Tom Hanks delivers one of his greatest performances ever! I could deeply feel sorry for Chuck after being the only person stranded on the island and with hardly anything to survive with. Chuck is a time-obsessed FedEx systems analyst who is called away for work while a holiday gathering with relatives. I loved Chuck's character a lot because he was desperate and needed to find every way he could to survive. Some people might find this quite ridiculous but Chuck had a 'friend' with him. It was a volleyball that he called Wilson to keep him company and someone that he could talk to. Tom Hanks creates another character with such a big heart filled with hope, courage and determination. Cast Away is definitely one of Tom Hanks' best performances to date. I liked Helen Hunt as well as Kelly Frears who is Chuck's girlfriend. She shows her deep heartfelt love for Chuck in this film and there are a lot of tears that come out of her eyes which can quite hard for an actor to do.


Robert Zemeckis has always been an amazing director about adventure and experiencing different things in life with different stories. Zemeckis' collaboration with Tom Hanks is another masterful one after Forrest Gump. Zemeckis' work on this film was so powerful it's untrue. I loved every single thing about this film and how it was filmed. Zemeckis' work with Tom Hanks in Cast Away made us really want to understand the character like he wanted us to understand Forrest Gump and what his personal problems are. The script is one I find to be more of an original screenplay than an adapted screenplay because it is a very simple story not a story that you have to dig yourself into to try and understand. The work on this film is phenomenal.


Cast Away is Robert Zemeckis' third best work after Forrest Gump and Back To The Future, it is Tom Hanks' fourth best film after Forrest Gump, The Green Mile and Saving Private Ryan. It is my second favourite film of 2000 after Gladiator. Cast Away is an absolutely amazing cinematic experience that I just loved from start to finish that is based on adventure, hope, bravery and courage. It's a bloody masterpiece!!


0 comments, Reply to this entry

FedEx™ and Wilson™ presents.... Cast Aw

Posted : 16 years, 10 months ago on 1 June 2007 04:35

FedEx™ and Wilson™ presents.... Cast Away

Man, i thought that AOL™ movie 'You've Got Mail'™ was the clear 'product placement in movies' champ, but Cast Away beat it by a mile!

I think it could've been a real gem of a film, even a 9 or a 10 in my books, if the friggin' product placement was turned down a down a notch, or two, or OFF completely. It's just so in-your-face that it feels like it bitch slaps you all the way throughout.

For starters, it feels like you're watching a FedEx™ employee pep-talk training video at the start, talking about how fast they ship, how important it is to be on time, and stories about how he tried so hard to get a package delivered, even when his truck broke down. And then you have the FedEx™ plan, the FedEx™ packages all floating in the ocean and washing up on the beach, and he keeps one important FedEx™ package that has Angel Wings on it, as it gives him hope on the desolate island. Really, i think it was put into the story was so can stare at the FedEx™ logo on the box for the entire film, all the way to its conclusion, where even though late, he finally hand delivers that FedEx™ package.

And let's not even mention Wilson™. yeah, it was cute that he started talking to an imaginary friend that was actually a volleyball, but yet its another clear product placement.

Overall, great film, if you can put up with the nausea from the commercial crap that floods it.


0 comments, Reply to this entry