Kate Winslet and Idris Elba are strangers who survive a plane crash – but will they be able to survive the snowy wilderness? It’s a heady combination of disaster movie and romance, anchored by strong performances from its stars. Based on the novel by Charles Martin, it sees the pair meeting at Salt Lake City airport when their flight is cancelled. She’s a photojournalist desperate to get home for her wedding the next day, he’s a surgeon who needs to perform surgery on a ten-year-old boy. Why not hire a small plane with a dodgy-looking pilot and a storm coming?
It’s a Mills & Boon kind of set up, but Winslet in particular adds authenticity and gravitas and the script takes its time to build up to the inevitable. Fans of survival movies will be well served by the pair’s attempts to make a nest out of the broken plane and their dilemmas (stay and wait for rescue or hike into a frozen wasteland?). It’s slightly frustrating that Winslet’s character Alex is nearly always the one who needs looking after, but the chemistry between them is good, the suspense sufficient and the ending gives you a gentle tug on the heartstrings. Oh, and there’s also a cute dog, who seems much better at this survival lark than anyone else.