While the familiar adage franticly warns people to avoid working with children or animals, some filmmakers just can’t help putting a loveable dog at the centre of their movies. The latest to do so is none other than David Ayer, a director whose filmography suggests that he was beyond such cuddly, puppo worship. When not rolling around in some grimy, urban surroundings, examining the pros and cons of morals-free, hyper-masculinity, the director was last seen helming two Jason Statham action flicks on the bounce – but just because Ayer has moved on to a man and his dog movie, it doesn’t mean he’s suddenly made Marley & Me with extra tattoos.
What we have is a rugged adventure story that sees Brad Pitt’s ex-military type and his preternaturally determined dog pull an Incredible journey and try to make it back to civilisation after a plane crash in the middle of Alaska. Ayer has tackled gruelling experiences before – piloting a WWII tank, negotiating the crime ridden streets of L.A., working with Jared Leto – but can he bring the heart that Heart Of The Beast requires?
Retired Army Special Forces veteran James Belmont likes to spend time in the Alaskan wilderness with his only friend, Odin, his military combat dog, who was previously wounded and traumatised in battle. Heading to the most remote place they can find in James’ sea plane and camping out for a few days allow the two the overwhelming solitude that both require after tours wading through the worst that humankind has to endure. Both bare scars inside and out, but their deep friendship goes a long way toward offering some much-needed mutual healing.
It’s something of a pain, then, when James suffers a heart attack when flying the two home, and after slumping over the controls of his aircraft, the plane crashes in a chilly lake leaving both pilot and his dog wounded and stranded in the literal middle of nowhere. Unsurprisingly, once they take stock of their surroundings, their formidable survival instincts kick in and the pair embark (no pun intended) on the 58-mile slog to safety that’ll take in brutal weather, chilling temperatures, various hungry predators that range from bears to wolves, rapids, swamps and the ever darkening cloud of James’ worsening heart condition. Keeping those agonising twinges at bay with mouthfuls of asprin, Belmont soldiers on as as the Alaskan wilderness finds yet more ways to hamper their journey, and the man and his dog find that their bond grows ever stronger, while they both get noticably weaker.
Can either of these two damaged friends manage to claw their way back to civilisation with so many things barring their path? Neither are willing to leave the other, but if one finally drops, is the other one able – or even willing – to continue without them?
I’ve always found something rather adolescent about the abject misery and suffering David Ayers insists on putting his characters through, and a lot of the time it strikes me as painfully performative. However, it seems that directing two deliberately ludicrous Jason Statham action movies in a row – with all their flamboyant villains and brutal justice – has managed to get the more outlandishly edgy urges out of his body in time to deliver something that resonates far more than his earlier, down-beat offerings. Maybe he’s coming down from a mid-life crisis, maybe Brad Pitt (who previously collaborated with him on Fury) is a really good influence on him, or maybe David Ayer just really is a dog person – but the result proves to be one of the director’s best movies by a fair margin.
Part of this has something to do with the restrictions Ayer and Pitt has placed on themselves. Stripped of his usual, urban, anti-hero posturing, Ayer has to turn his highly detailed eye from the decay of society and the corruption of the human spirit to the breathless beauty of nature and the healing power of friendship. While Pitt’s grizzled veteran seems to be cut from the usual Ayers cloth (neck tattoos are a must), we find a lead character who has already made it through the worst moments of his life and is using the solitary of nature to subdue the trauma within. Or should that be supporting character – because even when you plant a worldwide superstar next to the most charismatic woofer you’ll see all year, even Brad Pitt is going to come in a distant second.
Wearing more than his fair of scars, sporting a prosthetic paw and armed with the most heart warming stare your likely to experience, Odin takes the whole movie hook, line and sinker with only a few measured glances and a bunch of of disgruntled growls. Wisely, Pitt seems to be well aware that this movie really belongs to his canine co-star and thanks to game recognising game, happily surrenders virtually every scene to his three-legged friend.
It proves to be the emotional centre the movie needs which also helps it through some patches that sees Ayer running through the lost-in-the-wilderness blueprint with a fine tooth comb. There’s the expected bad weather and a perilous crossing of a raging river that goes just as well as you’d expect, and where would the film be without the requisite moment where the duo are set upon by an opportunistic pack of wolves and have to brawl for their lives; but thanks to that central bond, all these usual tropes end up feeling as fresh as the frigid water the pair repeatedly find themselves in.
Some extra support comes from J.K. Simmons’ crusty ex-prospector who actually give Pitt someone to play off early doors who can actually talk back to establish their past, and Anna Lambe helps add some extra kick to the tear-jerking finale, but for the lion’s share of the tight runtime, it really is just the Pitt and Pooch show. With flashbacks to their harrowing tours abroad, and some PTSD nightmares filling in some details, Ayer wisely ensures that it doesnt pull focus from the main adventure and becomes some loaded piece about war when the real story is about the unbreakable camaraderie that’s built up because of it. Also adding to the relentless tugging of heart strings is the ticking clock of James’ malfunctioning thumper, as their journey is given that extra twist due to the pills he uses to keep another attack at bay rapidly runs out. But it’s all juxtapositioned by truly stunning vistas and awe inspiring aurora borealis, which proves that Ayer has just a savvy eye for soul-enriching nature as he does for piss-stained alleyways and heavily soiled meth dens.
Balancing it’s emotions surprisingly well, which avoids the movie toppling either into saccharine territory, or bone headed action, Heart Of The Beast delivers moving adventure that easily wins the Good Boy award for effortless animal performance of the year. Pitt’s grim determination holds everything together, while Odin runs off with the film (and our hearts) neatly tucked into one of the pouches on his jacket. Now that’s what I call dogged determination.
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