The Mountain Between Us is based on the Charles Martin book of the same name which was published in 2010. Earlier this year I read, the book to fulfill one of my reading challenge categories (a movie being published this year), so I have been anticipating watching the movie version of the story. I enjoy reading romance stories and enjoyed this book in its own right. I was drawn into the interactions between Ben and Ashley (name changed for the movie) and it being very easy to read, which I want in my romance novels. I wasn't expecting having as much difficulty separating the book story from the movie story but I feel like there were changes that were unnecessary and as there isn't a whole lot going on in the story I found it quite distracting. If you haven't read the book it wouldn't be a problem for you but if you are a lover of the book it will be annoying, especially as the things that were changes would have worked perfectly well in the movie.
The Mountain Between Us is about Doctor Ben Bass, played by Idris Elba, and Journalist/photographer Alex, played by Kate Winslet. They are trying to fly out of an airport that is being shut down due a snow storm coming in, Alex to get married the next day and Ben to preform a surgery. They charter Walter, played by Beau Bridges, to fly them out but Walter suffers a stroke and they crash into a snow covered mountain with Walter's Dog. Both are injured and have to work together in order to try and get off of the mountain. During this trail, they experience hazards of being stranded on the snow covered mountain and getting to know each other.
This movie really relies on the interactions between Kate Winslet and Idris Elba and for how good of actors both of them are I was extremely disappointed in their lack of connection and chemistry. I usually love Winslet and don't really care for Elba but this was reversed in this movie. There was nothing compelling about Alex and moments that you could have really been pulled into her pain, I just wasn't. I did enjoy Elba as Ben and at least could see his journey a bit better. There was no connection or chemistry between these two, both when they were at odds or relying on each other. The situation pushed the feelings not the actors in the situation.
For this review, I am very much being the annoying person who says the book was better or they changes too many weird things as the movie. But I found it very strange that they changes Ben's Wife's name from Rachel (book) to Sara (movie). Like why change it? all it did was create a distraction from those who know the book. Also there were moments added to create drama in the story that were unnecessary and didn't add anything to the point of the story which is the relationship between Ben and Alex and how they depend on each other for different reasons. The aspect that I did like was that the movie was more evenly focused on both Alex and Ben instead of it being more heavily on Ben.
The pacing and editing was strange, and thinking back on it, many of the things I didn't like seems to be related to directing and production. It seemed like there were two or three different people with different visions that pasted the movie together. The ending was filmed weird, when it could have focused on both of them interacting it jumps to close up face shots when they are suppose to be having an emotional conversation.
The landscapes and moments where the mountain is shown are great and I could see how when they were at different spots on the mountain the environment they were at was different in accordance to changes when elevation is dropped.
The dog was adorable but how could he not be.
I fell like I knocked this movie more than it really deserved. It wasn't that great and a lot of the problems I had with it were unnecessary changes from the book to movie, but it was still an okay romance movie. I wouldn't be opposed to watching it again but it is not worth watching in theatres.
My Rating: 2-
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