[yasr_overall_rating]
An epic adventure set in the last Ice Age, ALPHA tells a fascinating, visually stunning story that shines a light on the origins of man’s best friend.
“Alpha” takes place in Europe over 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. It centers on a young man, Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is being taken into the wilderness, along with several other young men in his tribe, by his father Tau (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), on a Steppe bison hunting expedition. As his father is the leader of the tribe, Keda is expected to make both he and his mother proud as he goes through a rite of passage to becoming the tribe’s next leader. After they track down the herd of bison, they begin their attack but in amongst the chaotic skirmish, one of the bison attacks Keda and both go sailing over a cliff. Presumed dead by his father and his tribe, Keda is left behind but later wakes up to find himself perched high on a narrow bluff several meters below the cliff ledge where he fell from. Unable to climb up or down, when a violent storm blows through, and the water levels below start to rise, Keda has no choice but to take his chances and jumps from the ledge.
He survives the fall but badly injures his leg. As part of his initiation, a map of the Great Bear constellation was imprinted onto his arm as a means of pointing him towards home should he get lost and now he must begin the long trek home before Winter arrives. Along the way, however, he is attacked by a pack of wolves and in the process, injures one of them with his knife. The rest scurry away and the next day, he tries to bring himself to kill the injured animal but its whimpering convinces him otherwise. He cradles the wolf, who he calls Alpha, and manages to find a cave high above the canyon and for a few days, nurtures both his damaged leg and the wolf. The two get off to a rocky start but over time, gradually begin to bond. As they continue the long journey home, they are pursued by hyenas, mountain lions, and freezing cold temperatures which threaten to destroy their newfound relationship but also their very lives.
Director Albert Brooks is known for helming such films as “Menace II Society,” “Dead Presidents,” “From Hell,” and “The Book of Eli” so it came as a huge surprise to find him attached to this movie. Resembling absolutely nothing like his earlier pictures but something more akin to a Roland Emmerich end-of-the-world disaster flick, “Alpha” both surprises and astonishes. Cinematographer Martin Gschlacht delivers some of the most stunning visuals I have seen on film in some time, almost every shot is composed in such a way that it could tell its own individual story. The movie was shot in Canada and Gschlacht presents the continent (filling in for Europe) exquisitely and the cinematography becomes, along with Keda and Alpha, one of the most important aspects of the movie. The action scenes are thrillingly photographed and the relationship between boy and wolf is accomplished with a certain sweetness of disposition.
Most big budget movies such as this, are typically beautiful to look at but the acting, for the most part, is sub-par. Here, Hughes directs Kodi Smit-McPhee along with a real wolf, named Chuck, and the interactions between the two are priceless. Much has been made over the years of the debate between CGI and practical effects and with “Alpha,” Hughes perfectly infuses both to such a degree, that at times, it is almost impossible to detect which is which. One of the big drawbacks, unfortunately, is that the dialogue spoken herein is an obscure pre-civilization language which is sub-titled and because the movie is being aimed at younger audiences, this very element may detract them from the story instead of complimenting it. One of my favorite movies from the ’80s was “The Bear,” directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, and it told the story of a bear cub trying to survive in the wilderness after its mother is killed in a freak accident. There was very little dialogue throughout but it was fascinating watching the cub interact with its surroundings. In “Alpha,” it is equally fascinating watching man and wolf interact with each other, gain each other’s trust and respect, and then unite to take on the rest of the world. Although I do not care for 3D, be sure to see “Alpha” in this format as it heightens every single frame.
In theaters Friday, August 17th
