Heart of the Beast movie review: Brad Pitt powers a gripping, deeply moving survival drama

Heart of the Beast movie review: A man and his dog walk across 58 miles of Alaskan wilderness, fighting a heart attack, plane crash, injury, bears, wolves, drowning.

David Ayer and Brad Pitt collaborate for the second time, after Fury, for this unlikely film about a bond between a retired US Special Forces Sergeant Major and his combat scout dog. A bond that has been forged during one of those indistinguishable and bloody tours of duty that America keeps rushing into.

The PTSD that follows afflicts not just James (Pitt) but also Odin, and the two are spending time now in a part of Alaska that is even more isolated than the rest of it. They have no company but each other — barring a visit by a mysterious retired gold miner played gamely by Simmons.

And beyond their two trunks of essentials carrying everything from medicines and maps to food and clothes, and a belt with pouches carrying more of the same tied around Odin, they don’t need anyone else.

However, the peaceful escape of James and Odin into “the quiet of nature” — broken only faintly by the swish of wind, the call of birds, the rustle of rushing water in a stream, or that dripping off leaves after a bout of rain — ends abruptly.

What follows is the walk, to find help, with James’s body put through the kind of injuries and pain that would kill any mortal who doesn’t have a dog like Odin by their side, or the training of a US Special Forces soldier, or a camping kit of a well-prepared American.

That Heart of the Beast is as gripping as it is, and deeply moving, is due to Pitt. The star with his undeniable charm has embraced his age, and both the length of those years and the depth of his time spent with Odin — and the strength he derives from this — are etched on his face and reflect in his eyes. Odin, played by four different German Shepherds, is in sync with James’s every mood and movement, his eyes constantly searching, weighing.

But for unnecessary flashbacks to whatever war James and Odin were in last, leaving Odin with an amputated leg, Ayer doesn’t deviate from their story. Or from Alaska. The perils of this path are entirely common, nothing dramatic about them or anything particularly heroic in how James and Odin survive. The tussle with the wolves, though, may leave you with nightmares.

Eventually, the film does have one too many perils. A few near rescues or some more quieter flashback moments may have helped give a break.

Yet, when James and Odin huddle quietly in a tent, the two of them against the dark outside, you can’t help but feel like an intruder.

Heart of the Beast movie director: David Ayer Heart of the Beast movie cast: Brad Pitt, J K Simmons Heart of the Beast movie rating: 3.5 stars