THE RIVER WILD (1994)
This movie is quite a vessel (pun intended) for the incomparable Meryl Streep as it gives her the opportunity to showcase her wide range of acting abilities. We see her as loving mother, spurned wife, fervent adventurer and most of all fierce protector of her nearest and dearest.
Gail Hartman (Streep) is a former white-river rafting guide. For his tenth birthday she decides to take her son, Roarke (played by the amazingly talented Joseph Mazzello) on a river rafting trip. At the last moment they are joined by her almost estranged husband, Tom (David Strathairn) in a last ditch effort to save their shaky marriage. Along the way on the river they meet up with two strangers who at first look just like any of the other river rafting explorers. But it soon turns out their alliance with the Hartmans has ulterior motives. And so starts a wild ride (again, pun intended) for all of them.
Besides the excellent acting by an outstanding cast and breathtakingly beautiful scenery, the action sequences through the different rapids along the river are nothing short of spectacular. And through it all, director Curtis Hanson manages to keep a pretty tight suspense line going. I always thought that Kevin Bacon makes an excellent baddy but to see the usually hilariously lovable John C Reilly in such a roll is a real hoot.
As far as thrillers are concerned, this one is right up there with some of the best; highly recommended for all adrenaline junkies. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
Trailer link:
Trailer link:
The cast
No comments:
Post a Comment