Movie Review – ‘Heart of the Beast’ is an unexpected love story that will leave you in tears

There’s an old saying in Hollywood to never work with children or dogs, yet that didn’t stop Academy Award-winning actor Brad Pitt from signing on to director David Ayer’s newest film, Heart of the Beast. With a script that left Pitt weeping, the actor saw the screenplay as a love story between a man and his best friend. And as the owner of three dogs who believes that we’re “less alone in the world because of our dogs,” the 62-year-old actor gave all he had to what he calls the “hardest film [he’s] ever made.”

Retired Command Sergeant Major James Belmont (Pitt) and his beloved best friend Odin (Uber) spend their days flying across the Alaskan landscape — hiking, fishing, and setting up camp overnight, where Belmont relaxes with a beer in one hand and a book in the other while also enjoying the catch of the day with Odin. It’s quite the retired life, but also one much needed after the hardships the two endured together at war. While at peace in nature now, both experienced intense hardships and struggle with PTSD from what they saw and experienced overseas. Odin, in particular, frequently wrestles with nightmares, reliving those difficult days.

Their joyous adventures derail, though, after a medical emergency incapacitates Belmont mid-flight and sends their plane crashing into the water. With nothing but the supplies they packed, the two have only one another to rely on as they fight for their lives. The survival film follows the two as they battle the elements, the wilderness, and wild animals during their 58-mile trek back to civilization.

Screenwriter Cameron Alexander brings an original script to the screen after his vision sat on The Black List — Hollywood’s list of the most-liked unproduced films — in 2017. Written as a “love letter to his dog,” Ayer shared in a recent interview, “Everything comes down to story. And no great story is ever going to remain untold, and I felt I was the person to tell the story of Heart of the Beast.” Alexander’s words and Ayer’s vision combine to bring one of the most beautiful stories to the screen — along with some of the most intense scenes in a film in some time. Watching Pitt struggle to survive a raging river or seeing the two take on a pack of wolves is heart-inducing.

Ayer reunites with Pitt after the two worked together on the war film Fury, capturing the best from his small cast. Beyond Pitt and Uber, essentially only two additional actors have lines — one being another Academy Award-winning actor, J.K. Simmons. Yet it’s the wilderness that ultimately serves as the third character in this story. The director makes the most of the gorgeous New Zealand landscape (a stand-in for Alaska), capturing its beauty from all angles in spite of this being a fight for survival. Ayer shared with The Sydney Morning Herald that they were granted access to places “where no one had ever been allowed.”

The sexagenarian leading actor hasn’t shied away from action roles as he ages, having starred in last year’s F1: The Movie and following up Heart of the Beast with the recently announced sequel to World War Z. Before that, though, he returns as a stuntman in The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, the part that earned him a golden statue in 2019.

But it’s Uber, reportedly #1 on the call sheet, who is the real star of this film. Despite the German Shepherd not having a voice, his big brown eyes say so much — so expressive and full of emotion, conveying the love he has for his fellow soldier. The eight-year-old pup is no stranger to danger, having spent much of his life as a search-and-rescue dog. Here, he shines a light on the life of a military working dog.

The trust between Uber and Pitt makes for a wildly adventurous film that is equal parts endearing, exciting and even difficult to watch. Bring your tissues, as you’re unlikely to escape from this film without shedding a tear or two…or many, many more, as this critic did.