The Mountain Between Us
(2017)What if your life depended on a stranger?
Idris Elba and Kate Winslet survive an alpine plane crash in this adaptation of Charles Martin's novel. From the director of Paradise Now.... More
Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow-covered mountain. When they realise help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across hundreds of kilometres of wilderness, pushing one another to endure and discovering strength they never knew possible.Hide
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Directed by Hany Abu-Assad ('Paradise Now', 'Omar', 'The Idol')
Starring Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, Dermot Mulroney, Beau Bridges, Lucia Walters, Waleed Zuaiter, Lee Majdoub
Written by Chris Weitz (based on the novel of the same name by Charlies Martin)
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The Mountain Between Us
The Press Reviews
It's a Mills & Boon kind of set up, but Winslet in particular adds authenticity and gravitas. Full Review
Even though this particular story couldn't be more contrived, big stars have been making us invest in far-fetched emotional connections for as long as movies have been in existence. Full Review
It's said you have a choice at a movie like The Mountain Between Us: Laugh at it or go with it. I don't see those two things as mutually exclusive. I laughed at it and enjoyed the hell out of it. Full Review
Elba and Winslet give it their frowning and emoting best, getting actorishly in each other's eyelines. ... But I never fully believed in their danger or their emotional connection. Full Review
Two compelling leads and a mix of adventure and romance. It's a pleasant experience, if not one that will linger long in the memory. Full Review
A movie in which neither the subzero temperature nor the romantic heat penetrates more than skin deep. Full Review
An easily digestible love story-cum-survival tale that tosses two excellent actors in the snow and lets them do their thing. Full Review
A passable but bland romantic drama… Full Review
With these stars, and in the hands of director Hany Abu-Assad, whose Paradise Now and Omar are genuine Middle-East thrillers, Mountain should have been much better. Full Review
It's less a peaky blinder, more a Meh-ntain between us which emerges. Full Review
BY Liam Maguren Flicks Writer
Do not go into this expecting a hardcore survival film. There are no grim musings on death (see: The Grey), no one is mauled by a bear (see: The Revenant), and Idris Elba and Kate Winslet don’t eat butts for breakfast (see: Alive). While it does have one hell of an exciting crash sequence, The Mountain Between Us keeps things fluffy for the most part. That may not bode well for survival genre enthusiast, but this film isn’t for you. It’s a love story first and foremost, doing a better job serving that crowd than most Nicholas Sparks bollocks adapted to screen.... More
Boarding a tiny matchbox aeroplane as complete strangers, photojournalist Alex (Winslet) and neurosurgeon Ben (Elba) can only rely on each other and a dog (who doesn’t die!) when their fallen aircraft leaves them on a snowy death trap. Alex has experience being in dangerous environments while Ben has that precious doctor brain, making them both valuable assets to one another.
With the threat of death, they rely and confide in each other. That’s what the passable script wants you to believe, but it’s something the actors sell. Elba is comforting but guarded, instilling Ben with both a heart and secret sadness that earns his draw. Winslet is more expressive with Alex’s fears and determination, drawing a solid contrast to Ben while making her just as likeable. The script sometimes forces them to go against basic survival instincts for the sake of mood setting, like using a dying phone to play classical music. Fortunately, the actors make a simple rubbing of cold hand feel far more affectionate.
The strength of the leads lends this otherwise by-the-numbers romance some muscle. It’s also refreshing to see a love story centred on two people in their 40s as well as a surprisingly sensible conclusion that avoids artery-clogging cheesiness. Well, except for – quite literally – the final shot.Hide
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