All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Released is 1999 and directed by Richard Attenborough, "Grey Owl" stars Pierce Brosnan as the real-life Archibald Belaney, known as Grey Owl. Claiming partial aboriginal American ancestry, Grey Owl lived as a fur trapper in Temagami, Ontario. Upon meeting the winsome civilized Mohawk, Gertrude Bernard, aka "Pony" (Annie Galipeau), he delved more seriously into writing and became a renowned conservationist in the early 1930s."Grey Owl" is the farthest thing from a conventional Western and could more aptly be described as a Wilderness Drama/Romance. People keep claiming that Belaney lived in Northern Ontario when Temagami Island and Bear Island are decidedly in Southern Ontario, about 200 miles north of Toronto. Simply being North of Toronto doesn't make it "Northern Ontario." As far as Brosnan goes, he is actually very fitting for the eponymous role because (1.) Belaney had a similar build/look and (2.) Belaney was at best half-British (the ending clears this up).Someone claimed that the truth about Belaney wasn't discovered until after his death from pneumonia in 1938, his body weakened by habitual alcoholism. No, stories about his dubious identity had been circulating for years and, as shown in the movie, the North Bay Nugget held on to the revelatory story for three years before his death out of respect for the man's conservationist work, which the newspaper promptly printed after his decease.In any case, to enjoy this film you have to be in the mode for a low-key drama "Western" with lots of romance. If not, you'll likely be bored to death. I found the first half rather dull, but the movie made up for it by Brosnan's stalwart depiction, Galipeau's unique beauty, the magnificent eastern Canada cinematography and the cute baby beavers. The second half, however, becomes more compelling, as the truth about Belaney is slowly revealed. Unfortunately, the movie fails to include two important points about Grey Owl: (1.) Belaney's known alcoholism and (2.) the fact that his wonderful relationship with Gertrude (as illustrated in the move, that is) ended roughly two years before his death.The film runs 118 minutes and was shot in Quebec (Chelsea & Wakefield) & Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, as well as Hastings, East Sussex, England. The script was written by William Nicholson.GRADE: B or B- (6.5/10)

I first heard tales of Grey Owl whilst holidaying in Canada, found it interesting, but didn't pay it much heed. It was only by chance I noticed it in the TV listings back home in England so I settled down to a relaxed viewing. I found myself captivated by a gentle story, beautifully filmed and written with warmth and sympathy for the characters, the history and the locations. To me this wasn't Tinseltown creating a film to match the wants of the backers and corporations, but rather the telling of a story about someone real and his contribution to something which touched the hearts of huge numbers of people concerned at how man was treating his planet. Were the film made now in the 21st century Archie would be portrayed as a grifter, a conman, rather than a passionate romantic in a time when people could dare to be different and live out their dreams. Years later I took my son to Canada and told him about Archie, his origins, his dreams, his deceptions and his joy of being part of a move to make things right with nature once again. This was all thanks to the film and if this work by Attenborough has contributed to my son's appreciation of natural beauty, then it was a job well done. This is massively high in my top 10 film list and one I would recommend without a second's hesitation.

There's something a little funky about this movie - and yet it's still very likable, a true story, they say. How true to the real story? Who knows. PIERCE BROSNAN does a good job with his part ... yet it's a bit hard to get past the Pierce Brosnan thing. His brogue slips through occasionally when it shouldn't. But, still a pretty good film. Then again, I liked "Jeremiah Johnson." Not quite the same story, but some similarities there. JJ was the real thing of course. You'll see what's meant by that after seeing the film.ANNIE GALIPEAU was good though her diction was at times both effective (good) and affected (not so good). But, again, she's easy to watch & to like - maybe it's the fantasy of having a slim young woman who was so with-it with you in whatever setting, comfy, or not. If Attenborough had added just a bit more free spirit nudity for her (of which she had tiny bits in the film) it would have made her seem more vulnerable to this unusual character for whom she had an eclectic attraction and love. OK. Give it a look and see what you think. Saw it streaming and wish some of the DVD extra materials a reviewer elsewhere noted was available with info about the true story aspects and the leads the actors portrayed. The streaming video image had a partial anamorphic squeeze look in a 4:3 frame - so it expanded to full screen OK w/the set controls.

While flipping through the channels on a late Saturday night, my friends and I stumbled across this film. First of all, Irish actor Pierce Brosnan as a Native American? Seriously?! His accent was breaking through so much, although his character was apparently Scottish. Next, I was stunned to find that this film was made after he had already played James Bond/Agent 007 at least twice. This movie plays up the stereotypes, with the inspiring professor figure. The girl who played Pony should be paid to keep her mouth shut. And, this film won an award? I cannot believe it. Brosnan is an attractive man, but we seriously wanted to gauge our eyes out after watching this for just 10 seconds. We switched from "Kicking and Screaming" to this, and we wanted to switch back. We watched the 1995 children's classic "The Indian in the Cupboard" earlier in the night, which also discussed the Iroquois. The following line represents our desire to run away: "Take me outside, earth grasper." From "Grey Owl": "If you don't like it, you don't have to watch."