James Belmont (Brad Pitt) and Odin in “Heart of the Beast” (Photo Credit: Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures).
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(“Heart of the Beast” trailer courtesy of Paramount Pictures)
“Heart of the Beast” might become a fan favorite for those who love movies that highlight the relationship between man and beast.
The inspirational dog movie is an amazing story of perseverance, strength and intelligence.
And intelligence is not just limited to humans, as many animal lovers can attest.
But the movie is also a heartfelt drama of how man’s inhumanity to man can affect man’s best friend.
And what happens when a person only has his dog and a dog only has his owner because there is no guarantee that death will not do them part.
Anyone with a dog will tell people, that dogs truly are man’s best friend.
They can be a companion.
They can be a protector.
And they can almost be first responders.
But dogs have their own issues too, as seen in the new Brad Pitt film, “Heart of the Beast.”
Unfortunately, many of those issues occur because of the faults of mankind, not the doing of the dog itself.
In “Heart of the Beast,” James Belmont (Pitt) is a retired Green Beret, living off the land in Alaska with his dog Odin and their private plane.
The two hunt and fish together for food.
They pitch a tent wherever their day ends.
And they do not need to worry about intrusion from other people, usually, because they are so far off the grid.
Often, their only adversaries are wild beasts, and thanks to a soldier of a dog like Odin, much bigger beasts stand no chance against the inseparable duo.
The only time that the two encounter a human together is when Watkins (J.K. Simmons) stumbles upon their campsite.
Since Watkins is strapped with a gun, the former Green Beret keeps his guards up, not even wanting to shake Watkins’ hand.
But James initially warms up to his new friend, sharing a meal, a conversation and a couple of beers with him.
Watkins informs James that he will only be in their company for one night.
But he warns James that inclement weather is headed their way.
By the time James and Odin wake the next morning, their new friend is gone, leaving them with one less beer than the night before, a book and some words of wisdom.
Attempting to beat the incoming storm, James and Odin board their plane to find more favorable weather.
Unfortunately, before the two can find a new place to set up shop, health issues and plane issues result in catastrophe.
The two are initially separated.
But even when united, the two find themselves in such a dire physical predicament that making it to safety will be one heck of an ordeal.
Therefore, “Heart of the Beast” becomes an epic struggle for survival, and what happens when a person has no more fight in them and must let go of the only thing that they love and cherish.
While some of the scenes might be difficult to watch because of the realness of some of the injuries, the early plane scenes of snowcapped mountains are breathtaking and may produce jealousy for those who do not live in cities with such natural beauty.
Furthermore, some later visuals are just as beautiful in “Heart of the Beast.”
Watching Odin truly experience post-traumatic stress disorder as a dog via nightmares is hard to watch because no animal signs up for war, no matter how much they love their owner.
People married to war veterans often use the term shell shocked to describe their partner’s PTSD, with some saying that their spouses would wake up in the middle of the night yelling “don’t shoot” as if they were still on a battlefield in a foreign land.
Their pleas to not shoot are the equivalent to Odin waking up and barking in terror.
Unfortunately, some of the terror that the duo encounter is real.
And it will take the love and loyalty of each other to weather the storms in their way because the storms come in various forms from the literal to the figurative.
At the end of the day, however, “Heart of the Beast” is about caring on when one loses the only thing that they have.
When that time comes to be alone, will a person or thing who only had one person in their life be able to carry on without them?
Furthermore, will someone step up to the plate to fill the void left by that person or thing?
“Heart of the Beast” is also a movie about the simple things in life.
In a sophisticated world of technology, fancy homes and exquisite restaurants, do people really need that for survival and enjoyment?
Often, the true treasures in life are from things that money cannot purchase.
The necessities in life are often all that is needed to enjoy life.
And James and Odin have the best of times just living off the land and spending time together.
Unfortunately, “Heart of the Beast” is predictable and cookie cutter.
But it is still beautiful because of the love that many have for animals, and the love that animals have for their owners/families.
Pitt does his thing as always, and that is completely necessary because his only true co-star in “Heart of the Beast” is furry with four legs and does not talk.
But not talking will be good enough for animal lovers because they will probably love “Heart of the Beast.”
Even for those not enamored with dogs, “Heart of the Beast” is still an amazing story of survival and perseverance even against the harshest conditions.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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