thefinalcredits "You're safe because we died already." A brave feature for a Hollywood studio to take on, this atypical avant-garde film attempts to deal with the existentialist philosophy surrounding life and death, after the protagonist experiences a near-death event. The epiphany and adrenaline rush that Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) undergoes in his brush with death radically alters his personality and behaviour. When the hydraulics fail on the plane on which he is aboard, setting it plunging towards the ground, amongst the panic and screaming of his fellow passengers Max has the revelation that he is no longer afraid. The accompanying 'buzz' that his seeming invincibility produces has such an impact upon him that after surviving the crash, he proceeds to risk his life in search of an equivalent level of euphoria in cheating death. Thus, he confronts his own life-threatening allergy to strawberries, blithely walks across lanes of oncoming traffic, and in one riveting scene, stands perilously on the ledge of a skyscraper in the buffeting wind. In addition, he is increasingly drawn to those who have shared this life-changing experience, and steadily more distant from his wife and child. Bridges delivers a laconic and effortless performance, at first glance, more worthy of an Oscar nomination than his earlier less convincing incarnation of Carpenter's 'Starman'. Yet, his performance suffers from the fact that his character's smugness and introspective self-absorption is ultimately unappealing. Just as this protagonist has a growing sense of detachment from those around him, so can we the audience become more alienated from his narcissistic and zen-like attitude. Bridges' efforts are further undermined by having to deliver lines of new-age psycho-babble which grate with the profound issues under analysis. As such, Max offers empty pieces of advice such as 'If life and death make no sense, there's no reason to do anything', and to his gaming aficionado son: 'When you die, you don't get another life.' By contrast, Rosie Perez provides a performance worthy of earning her an Academy Award statuette, and one which should have garnered her more future Hollywood opportunities than has been the case. Her portrayal of a mother wracked by depression and guilt for not having done more to save her baby is simply heart-rending. How can one forget the slow-motion scene in which she desperately attempts to breathe in the scent of another's new-born for that which she herself has lost. As preparation for bringing such weighty and profound content to the 'big screen', director Peter Weir interviewed survivors from a real crash which occurred just outside Sioux City, Iowa in 1989. Consequently, Weir decided to change the nature of the film's most moving and frightening scene by dropping all exterior shots, and purely concentrating on the passengers' viewpoint, thereby heightening its intensity for the film's audience. After a few years of career hiatus, Weir approached the studio heads and asked to be given an artistic challenge in bringing to fruition a proposal for what he termed a 'broken script'. His skills are evident from the majesty of the opening scene in which Bridge emerges from a hazy, smoky cornfield holding what the audience believe to be his baby in his arms and his little boy by the hand, before the shot pans out to reveal the wreckage and carnage of a terrible air-crash. Probably the inspiration for JJ Abrams' opening of 'Lost'. The director, who himself considered this feature his greatest work, greatly benefits from working alongside cinematographer, Allen Daviau, frequent collaborator in Spielberg's early successes. If only Rafael Yglesias' screenplay, based on his own novel, had been as impressive. Nevertheless, Weir has provided one of the most touching pieces of cinematic history which should endure as testament to his art, with his treatment of the crash scene playing out to Gorecki's Third Symphony.

Brian Berta This is a fantastic character study which expertly details someone's transformation after they survive a horrific plane crash.After a man survives a plane crash, he is hailed as a hero because he lead several other survivors to safety. This has a negative effect on his personality though and he then meets another survivor who lost her baby in the disaster.The movie has great character development as we get to know more about Max and Carla. The movie makes us care for them and we get to experience their change throughout the film. This movie has the tendency to catch you off guard and it can surprise you're least expecting it.Probably the most memorable scene is the plane crash scene. It is frighteningly realistic. It shows the force of the wind and Earth ripping apart the aircraft. It is a horrifying scene and a horrifying memory which changed the characters life forever. It is a scene that will stick with you long after viewing it.This movie isn't perfect though. There are a few moments where the movie can be slow and a bit too long but other that, it's an underrated gem which will stick with you for a long time.

Bruce Banner This film is an interesting character study of a man dealing with fear and death.I watched it because I'm a big fan of Jeff Bridges work as "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski but I was a bit letdown. Here's why:The movie did not deliver enough entertainment value. Thought provoking it was but entertaining- questionable.Also, the way the movie handled its core issues and themes seemed a little heavy handed to me. The old chestnut about script writing that the dialogue should never be totally "on the nose" was not adhered to, in this case to the film's detriment. I found some of the dialogue to be too direct and not leaving enough room for subtext and for the viewer to feel that there is something bubbling beneath the surface. Its always better for the writer to sketch the character's struggles as metaphors and incidental to the story rather than try to force themes to lead the story and drive its dialogue. Additionally, the Director's use of camera shots was a little slow. The style of, "Look at me, here is another important closeup on some random object for longer than we would like," coupled with the writing served to make the movie a bit melodramatic. Aside from Jeff Bridges who does a solid job in a decent role, Benicio Del Toro was very interesting in his minor role as was John Torturro.You will see a lot of rave reviews for Fearless largely because it has a small cult following who were emotionally impacted by it. As a regular viewer with no special connection to the film, I advise you to take these reviews with a grain of salt. They are biased. This is not a flawless film. It is merely an interesting one with a couple good actors. Definitely Not a must see. I also wasn't crazy about Rosie Perez. Her acting was one note, loud and amateurish rather than nuanced and intelligent.

daffodil54 I watched it till the end. If you the sort of person who spends a lot of time on thoughts like purpose, death and life DO NOT watch this movie. it's worse than an empty shell. it is false advertising, this movie. It tells about a man's journey after a plane crash that had changed him to someone who does not feel. He feels almost content with anything and joyous with life. there are some illogical plot occurring. It has to do with an allergy. Besides that the main character had little appeal to me. even the gorgeous women did not make up for what a fluke the movie was. I am flabbergasted that certain people felt so full of emotion after this movie but I think those are the shallow sort of people.