"Nature's Grave" Review

Title: "Nature's Grave"
Year: 2008

I'd like to start off this review by apologizing to Mother Nature for all the cigarette butts I've ever thrown out my car window, for contributing to global warming by driving an SUV, for not actively going out and planting trees, etc. Apparently, she gets pissed at times and I don't want to be on the receiving end!

Peter and Carla, whose marriage is on its proverbial last leg, decide to "put $10,000 of camping equipment on their credit card" and set off for a remote beach on the Australian coast. Apparently, weekend warrior and wannabe nature cowboy Peter (with his habits of littering and firing his daddy's old rifle at random things) is excited about the surfing and the couple is planning to meet up with friends at a gas station in town so they can all go together. Their buddies never make it and Peter decides to head off without them. The pair end up in an isolated spot with a gorgeous beach and (gulp) plenty of wildlife. From here, the couple's strained relationship collapses on itself while nature seems to be taking revenge on these thoughtless humans in the form of a rampant ant colony, dangerous waves, and one pissed-off sea cow.

Though Jim Caviezel has portrayed Jesus Christ on-screen, he is no saint or savior in this one. His portrayal of the arrogant, self-centered Peter has you rooting for Mother Nature. While this definitely made me more sympathetic for Carla, she has her moments as well. This film is altogether uncomfortable and unsettling to the viewer, but not in a turn-it-off-and-watch-Forensic-Files-instead way. These traits are entirely intentional as there is a strong connection between the darkness emerging in Peter and Carla and the catastrophic natural (or unnatural?) events that occur. It may be simplistic to say that the couple is causing nature to react in a negative way--it is more accurate to observe that there is a sort of cyclical synergy between the pair and the great outdoors that seemingly brings out the worst in all parties involved. The entire situation seems to devolve throughout the course of the film before free-falling into an ending that blindsides you at 100 mph. You just know this one's not going to get any prettier, but you have to see what happens next.

Bottom Line: A slow, grating, nearly excruciating film to watch. And I mean that in the best possible way. To coin a cliche, this flick does for camping what "Jaws" did for going into the water. Seriously.

Rating: 3 out of 5 pissed-off sea cows.