Naomi Watts returns to the danger zone in ‘Infinite Storm’
She’s making it her specialty to battle against the odds
A nearly unbelievable story of courage atop a New Hampshire mountain in a raging winter gale, “Infinite Storm” gifts Naomi Watts with another endangered yet stoic heroine.
Watts memorably survived, barely, a deadly tsunami as Maria Bennett in the 2012 film, “The Impossible,” receiving her second Best Actress Oscar nomination. As surfing mama Sam Bloom she survived a paralyzing balcony fall in “Penguin Bloom.”
“Infinite Storm” recounts how Pam Bales, a mountain rescue squad member, refused to abandon a nearly frozen man, vowing despite the blizzard she would get them both down to safety.
“It’s interesting, isn’t it, how I ended up in these? It’s not a plan,” Watts, 53, allowed. “But I guess subconsciously I’m drawn to resilient women.
“I’m just wildly impressed how these women gather that strength in the face of adversity. And not just for themselves! In this case, it’s this mysterious man John.
“And, you know, she’s dealing with her own grief at the same time. Pam has known suffering of a pretty gargantuan kind and to be able to turn it into something like this” – a life dedicated to saving others — “was impressive.”
“Infinite” spotlights demanding physical performance from Watts who filmed on snow-drenched Slovenian mountains. But it’s virtually a solo outing as well. Pam is initially alone up there, trying to overcome a dangerous fall. Then with a nearly comatose John (Billy Howle, Netflix’s “The Servant”), conversation is not an option.
“As an actor that was worrisome going in,” Watts, acknowledged. “You feel somewhat naked because so much of storytelling relies on reacting and communicating with others.
“But not having anyone there also has a lot to do with Pam’s story. She uses the mountains as a form of therapy. She goes out there and trusts that nature can give her back what she’s needing, to fill the holes in her life. There’s something beautifully poetic about that.
“And a great reminder that nature is powerful. It’s a resource that we forget — and I love that.”
Real-life danger while filming?
“The moment where you see me dress John – that was excruciating,” Watts said. “We had the coldest day of our entire shoot. And yes, the blizzard and everything else was all happening at once. And he had to be without clothes to get in the weather gear” – to save his life.
“It was some high-level drama going on there in real time. It was very unplanned in terms of how we get those shots because it was so brutally cold. And we had to race.”