Heart of the Beast

Ayer, who previously worked with Pitt in the 2014 World War II tank drama “Fury,” never loses focus on the bond between his two principals. Man and dog and their connection are the elements that grip the audience and never let go from beginning to end. Thanks to that, this “Beast” is singularly moving.

The real surprise of Heart of the Beast is how well-made it is. Ayer draws on his logistical talent, and even his taste for violence, to craft a tale of survival that makes us feel the pain, the fear and the hardship, the stakes of what it takes to battle nature.

Director David Ayer and first-time screenwriter Cameron Alexander aren’t reinventing the wheel when it comes to survival tales, but they do so with unsparing efficacy, delivering moments of both suspense and compassion. It immediately joins the ranks of Field of Dreams and Saving Private Ryan as a movie that allows men to cry.

When the movie gives us time with its actual flesh-and-blood components, “Heart of the Beast” consistently moves.

It’s hypermasculine cinema, perfect for the stoic man in your life who’d rather face down a pitiless Mother Nature than talk about his relationship with his mother.

A story about a loving bond between a person and their animal friend is inherently disarming. “Heart of the Beast” knows this and eventually leans a bit too strongly on the heartstring-pulling with heavy-handed music. It’s moving nonetheless, since the purity of Odin’s devotion comes through.

Inoffensive, family-forward storytelling, bombarded with American iconography, is the bread and butter that makes Heart of the Beast work, even if its enjoyability is as sporadic as the heart attacks that plague James throughout the film.

This is an epic adventure story about survival , friendship , and the pure bond between dogs & humans . Odin the dog was amazing and endearing . Brad Pitt gives a good performance that tugs at the heart strings . One of the best films of the year

Other than 2 short appearances, this movie is all Brad Pitt and his dog. He plays a Special Forces vet out on an adventure in the Alaska wilderness when his plane crashes. The rest of the film has them saving each other on their challenging journey. Pitt carries the film just fine and the dog (actually 4 dogs) provides a strong presence. Despite all the expected setbacks, some of which are life-threatening, there’s seldom much genuine tension. David Ayer, who directed Pitt in “Fury” (my review), has created some stressful situations, but they don’t deliver much more. On the positive side, the scenery is lovely (actually shot in New Zealand) and the best moments are Pitt’s interactions with this canine co-star. Instead of a taut thriller, this is more a survival drama filled with some hardships and lots of heart.

Je suis allé voir ce film avec une certaine appréhension. De nombreuses critiques le présentaient comme un navet, avec un Brad Pitt moins convaincant dans son rôle que l’adorable chien Odin. Effectivement, le film a des défauts, mais il n’est absolument pas à jeter. Brad Pitt est excellent et nous offre des scènes mémorables et touchantes, au point de faire pleurer à chaudes larmes certains spectateurs dans la salle. Certaines séquences sont d’une intensité remarquable, et le film sait renouveler les épreuves auxquelles sont confrontés nos deux compagnons, nous faisant espérer toujours davantage leur réussite dans cette lutte pour la survie. Néanmoins, le film souffre, selon moi, d’un début trop lent, si bien que l’histoire de survie semble prendre les rênes de l’œuvre trop ****. Je ne remets pas en question ce choix cinématographique : poser l’ambiance, nous emmener aux côtés de nos deux compagnons, sans catastrophe ni péripétie, simplement pour être avec eux et expérimenter le calme et la douceur d’un campement solitaire en Alaska. Ceci étant dit, personnellement, je me suis fait chier. James, incarné par Brad Pitt, est charismatique et nous offre des scènes touchantes, merveilleusement interprétées par un acteur qui a pleinement pris possession de son personnage. Un homme solitaire, traumatisé par la guerre, qui ne trouve de joie qu'auprès de son chien, lequel le lui rend bien, car il est comme lui. Odin est un chien qui a vécu l’enfer et qui voit en son maître son seul salut. La relation entre les deux est belle, sincère à l’écran et touchante à souhait lors de certaines scènes que je ne spoilerai pas. J’ai entendu bon nombre de personnes affirmer que Brad Pitt avait été moins bon que le chien dans ce film. Je ne suis absolument pas d’accord. Sans l’un, il n’y a pas l’autre. Leur relation repose précisément sur cette complémentarité, et cela se ressent à l’écran. Et c’est beau. Le film n’invente rien, mais il maîtrise son sujet, et l’on passe un bon moment à le regarder. Il y a des longueurs, certainement, mais aussi des moments sensationnels qui nous les font aussitôt oublier. Je recommande !

Saw Heart of the Beast, perhaps a title ironically referring to heart of darkness. The novel, Apocalypse Now partly inspired by, where primal man is depicted as a ferocious boogeyman. In this film it strikes closer to the reality, primal man was a hunter relying on tech like fire, pear, knife to survive. Saying that this film really is only for the survival and dog film fans. It's barely a film. As basically nothing happens in it. Without Brad Pitt this barebones story wouldn't hold much of our interest. The main issue is that unlike The Martian, another one person survival story, is in this film there are no "problems" to solve, it's just one unconquerable difficulty after another, that there is no way to outhink/outmanouvre. Like predetermined fate, but at least this makes the ending more palatable, if still somewhat unsatisfying. Although an interesting angle on the story, is that the domesticated dog is basically on the same journey the man is. This is intimated somewhat when the dog and the wolf lock eyes, so the dog is trying to not descend into savagery as well. Which is pretty cool as there is a influential theory that wolves domesticated themselves by just hanging around human encampments.

Sappy, overwrought trash. Pitt needs to retire yesterday; he's not good at this anymore (he never really was). This macho man crap with a dog is just manipulating self-proclaimed "big, strong men" to cry is hilariously transparent and embarrassing. Go spend your money on therapy.