Director Peter Weir is not a household name for people of my generation. Even though he directed "The Truman Show," and he has been nominated for an Oscar five times, his name is not as common place as other directors. With his new film "The Way Back" in theaters now, I was encouraged to seek his film "Fearless" as an example of his talents. And man, was I surprised.
The central even of the film is a plane crash where Bridges survives and help many people escape the fiery wreckage. Because he accepted his own mortality on the plane, his life post crash is marred by a bizarre grief infused enlightenment. His new attitude takes a tole on his relationships with his family, business partners, and himself. While this does allow Bridges to do some of his trademark dude/chill/man act, he is actually way more layered here, particularly in his scenes with fellow crash survivors.
Not many films these days really examine the concept of mortality (unless you're dealing with dreams man!) and the films courageous exploration is admirable and succeeds. The plane crash is also one of the most terrifying and beautiful shot sequences I have ever seen, but that's all I'll say about that. A bonus highlight is the strong supporting cast that surrounds Bridges, including Rosie Perez and a young Benecio Del Toro.
I encourage you to seek the film if you want a film that explores that life, death, and how it effects us all. It's also got a hell of a performance from Bridges. Stream on!
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