FEARLESS

In the pointless and unresolved psychological twister FEARLESS, Jeff Bridges is Max Klein, a man who walks away unscathed from a catastrophic plane crash in Southern California, leading many other passengers to safety, only to walk into a strange new life without any fear, but also void of any meaning or purpose beyond the immediate moment.

FEARLESS is strange film which fails to clearly illustrate its point. It may be interesting from a psychological perspective, this phenomenon of a man thinking he is invincible after surviving a plane crash, but the character’s need to constantly reaffirm his fearlessness only proves the futility of such a theology. Could this be the director’s point? Again, this is not clear. The film is well photographed, especially the crash scenes and the dream-like flashbacks. Rosie Perez, while enjoyable as a young Latino mother, should really work on her diction. Realism in character is one thing, but it would be nice to be able to understand what she is saying. Jeff Bridges is alternately introspective, analyzing everything and everyone, and wildly exhilarated, relishing every ounce of life. His portrayal of Max is quite effective, but the film itself is less than satisfying due to the lack of plot development and a weak premise. This film is also definitely not a love story, as it is being billed.