Impressive star pair keep unlikely escapade airborne
The Mountain Between Us
(Cert 12A, 112 mins)
A plane crash in mountainous terrain brings together two strangers on different emotional flight paths in director Hany Abu-Assad’s romantic drama.
Based on the novel by Charles Martin, The Mountain Between Us is a gooey collision of beautiful people in peril: a female photographer on assignment for a national UK newspaper and a gifted male neurosurgeon who asserts the brain is the most important organ in the body.
“What about the heart?” she asks. “It’s nothing but a muscle,” he replies dismissively.
Abu-Assad’s picture, adapted for the screen by Chris Weitz and J Mills Goodloe, pays considerably more attention to the heart than the brain.
Storm clouds amass over Salt Lake City, grounding all commercial flights. Photojournalist Alex Martin (Winslet) is poised to marry her fiance Mark (Dermot Mulroney) the following day in New York.
She charters a two-person plane for $800 from avuncular pilot Walter (Beau Bridges), who fought and flew during Vietnam.
“As long as nobody’s shooting at me, I’ll get you there,” he promises.
Alex offers the second seat to Dr Ben Bass (Elba), who needs to operate on patients in Manhattan.
During the subsequent flight, Walter suffers a stroke and the plane careens into a snow-laden peak in the High Uintas Wilderness.
Walter perishes while Ben suffers bruises and a couple of broken ribs, and Alex’s leg is badly injured.
“We might die together and I don’t even know you,” mourns Alex, who knows her fracture will impede rescue as they brave sub-zero temperatures and natural predators.
The Mountain Between Us remains airborne thanks to Winslet and Elba, who compel us to believe in their unlikely coupling.
A final destination is clearly telegraphed far in advance of the softly lit, breathless sex scene.
Don’t expect much turbulence before landing.