"What are we to do with Francesco Schettino [Captain of the shpwrecked Costa Concordia]?" 

"He will go down in history as an example of miserable failure, dereliction of duty, radical cowardice, and the collapse of manhood. He failed to do what any man in his position would be

expected to do.

"He even refused a direct command to take up his duty, once he had abandoned it. We are left with the tragic picture of a frightened man who abandoned his post when he was most needed, and consigned over 4,200 human beings in his care to the dark water. It is a portrait of moral collapse and the forfeiture of manhood. READ MORE 

The Grey, released last weekend, is a different kind of "manly" movie that goes far beyond the popular film genre of men acting like boys or men reveling in murder, mayhem and sex. It's a cross between those great Jack London wilderness adventures, the epic Moby Dick drama, and the suspense classic Jaws that pit men against anything nature throws at them. 

The Grey is not some sentimental morality tale. What makes it so provocative is that it explores The Dark Night of the Soul wherein a man is plunged into the depths of spiritual crisis and must battle with good and evil, life and death, hope and despair, and belief and unbelief.   In addition to the incredible challenges nature thrusts upon this small, stranded band of men who survive a plane crash in the harsh, hostile Alaskan wilderness, they must contend with what it means to act like a man in the midst of fierce spiritual warfare. 

[If you're interested in a discussion guide that explores the movie's spiritual themes, click "film companion" ]  **(rated R for violence/disturbing content including bloody images, and for pervasive profanity)

Make no mistake The Grey is an in-your-face movie laced with profanity, thrills and chills, and the harsh reality of the despair in man's fallenness. It will puncture your moral sensibilities and challenge who you really trust in your own wilderness struggle.. READ MORE