 "Quite the Close Encounter!" | 2010-02-09 |
| - Reviewed By It's always Happy Hour here from Skunk Holler |
Ah, PBS. Periodically I'll check it, mostly out of moribund curiosity (and little else). Occasionally public television will have something on that warrants a second glance; and recently I stumbled across PBS showing GORILLAS IN THE MIST. As I had never seen this highly-acclaimed Sigourney Weaver movie, I pulled up a chair and watched this powerful biography of environmentalist/animal rights activist Dian Fossey. The viewer is treated to quite the transformation of Ms. Fossey (and Weaver is the convincing vessel)--from meek, timid marm to brash, and quite frankly, petulant and neurotic radical. By the end of this film you don't want to get on Dian Fossey's bad side; of course, several poachers and corrupt government officials do, and things kind of turn out. . .ugly.
But the true wonder and awe of this beautifully filmed movie has to do with the actual contact with wild gorillas, you know, in the mist. These aren't people dressed up as apes, these aren't trained animals--these are the real deal, with Weaver and co-star Bryan Brown and a handful of the other actors making close encounters of the very realistic kind. Especially Weaver; as I watched her interact with the gorillas, as some of them playfully jump over her or groom her, I wondered what was going through director Michael Apted's mind. (Probably something like, "I hope that Lloyd's policy we have on Sigourney is in force!") Filmed in the mountains of Rwanda, this interaction between man (well, woman) and beast is so vividly stunning; I found myself picking my jaw up off the floor more than once. Small wonder Weaver received an Oscar nomination for this role. After holding hands with a wild silver back male she deserved it.
--D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning |
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 "A fitting tribute to Fossey and her Gorillas" | 2009-09-20 |
| - Reviewed By TurtleDom from Washington, DC |
It's so great to see a major Hollywood production about a conservationist hero - and a good film no less. Gorillas in the Mist covers the life of Dian Fossey, often viewed by many as a patron saint of gorilla conservation. The movie was inspired by her memoirs Gorillas in the Mist, with some added liberties (such as the end of the film). Fossey herself was a relatively unsung hero (especially when compared to Jane Goodall) who almost single-handedly saved the mountain gorilla species by confronting poachers and raising public awareness of the gorillas. Although this is based on a true story, this movie has more action and suspense than most Hollywood films in theaters today. It features a civil war, roving gangs of hunters, corrupt ministry officials, messy romance, and murders of both gorillas and humans. I won't ruin the plot, but think Indiana Jones - The Complete Adventure Collection meets Planet Earth. All in the life of a conservation biologist!
Sigourney Weaver, not always the best actress outside of sci-fi films, does a great job portraying Fossey. She starts off awkwardly, but by the middle of the film she really captures Fossey's passion. At times, she seems almost possessed and overcome with her mission, a one-man army in a war against poachers. At one point in the movie, I forgot that she ever played Ripley in the Alien Quadrilogy and became completely immersed in her acting.
What makes the film all the more impressive is that the production crew filmed on location in Virungas, Rwanda. The gorillas in the film are not zoo animals or trained animal actors (as I thought the first time I watched the movie), but rather real, live wild gorillas. All of the footage with the gorillas was taken in their natural habitat, including the instances when the silverbacks charge the actors! The gorillas were so natural and photogenic that you almost suspect that they realize they're being filmed and portray their best side.
I really hope one day somebody goes back to make a "special edition" of this film for blu-ray. At times, the video quality is a bit grainy and could really benefit from enhancements. The beautiful imagery in the film - the green mountains, close-ups of gorillas, etc. - would look great in an enhanced blu-ray edition. Maybe also include some wildlife documentaries about gorillas, such as Mountain Gorilla (IMAX), or a brief documentary on Fossey's life (with interviews from those who knew her). I hope this movie doesn't remain obscure - more people would benefit from seeing it and understanding the problems gorillas face in the wild.
I'd love to read Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist to see how accurate the movie is. If the movie is anything near accurate, Fossey led an incredible life and had an amazing force of will. This movie is a fitting tribute. |
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| "a great film i watched when i was young" | 2009-09-15 |
| - Reviewed By BBQ from TEXAS, USA |
| i dont think this held up to my childhood expectations. this film got me interested in wildlife as a child and i think it is a good film for anyoone interested in wildlife conservation. |
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| "Sigourney WeAver" | 2009-02-23 |
| - Reviewed By Love You from I'm Home |
| captures the heart of a woman (Diane Fossey..)who many people claim was nicer to animals than peoplE.Sigourney probably worked with the same Gorillas in the movie that DiAne Fossey did.My anThropology teacher claims that Weaver had Fossey down pat: Her loOk and voice.I'm never tired of looking at Sigourney on screen:She's just a force and a serious actor at heart: Her comedies are not without serious statement too.This is a movie where she's taking some risks.Sci-Fi or comedy,seriOus roles--Shes really quite got it all.A role modEl.A gay icon and stRaight mother..Nothing fazez this woman does it? |
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| "Portrait of a wildlife warrior" | 2008-03-09 |
| - Reviewed By An Amazon User |
Despite the requisite Hollywood cliches, this is a great film. Dian Fossey didn't know what she was getting into when she volunteered to go to Africa, working for Dr. Louis Leakey in taking a census of the endangered Mountain Gorillas. She didn't realise she was expected to work alone, in a remote mountain hut, and in a country torn by civil war...
But she came to love the subjects of her study so much, that nothing could prize her from the mountain, not even the (human) man she eventually fell in love with. "When you look deep into a gorilla's eyes," she wrote, "your life is changed forever."
The blacks thought she was a witch, due to her reddish hair and fierce glance (captured well by actress Sigourney Weaver, although the real Dian was apparently a bit more shy than Sigourney's character). But this witchlike image actually helped to scare the poachers off. And Dian's work helped prevent the gorillas from becoming extinct. But unfortunately she was murdered by cowardly scum...black poachers in the pay of white animal traffickers. Too often the best are cut down before their life's work is finished...
One other thing to note is the incredible beauty of the landscapes, filmed on location in the mountains of Rwanda. The result is a worthy tribute to this wildlife warrior, who is now most probably in Asgard, feasting at Freyja's very table (with a gorilla at her side, no doubt). |
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| "Gorilla's in the Mist" | 2008-01-19 |
| - Reviewed By Dinda S. Evans from korea |
| An incredible movie about an incredible person and the creatures she loved. This movie is enjoyable for those who like nature, animals, true stories, excellent acting, etc. |
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