Time dictates our lives and deaths, and we shouldn't allow ourselves to lose sight of its passage. *** This review may contain spoilers *** As FedEx employee Chuck Noland embarks on another crucial delivery, he leaves his girlfriend Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) behind just before Christmas. A catastrophic plane crash occurs mid-flight, sending the aircraft into the ocean. Noland manages to escape the sinking jet and is subsequently stranded on a deserted island. Stripped of modern conveniences and battling daily isolation, he must maintain hope for rescue before despair consumes him or his will to survive fades away. Tom Hanks (as Noland) reunites with director Robert Zemeckis following their highly successful collaboration on 1994’s Forrest Gump. While Cast Away didn't receive any awards—accusations of it being an Oscar bid circulated beforehand—it can be argued that it showcases Hanks' finest work. Very few contemporary actors could have carried the film as effectively as he does. He captivates and draws us into his solitude, excelling through facial expressions and physical acting, with minimal dialogue (his only companion being a volleyball that arrived alongside some FedEx packages). Zemeckis deserves praise for the central portion of the movie and the harrowing plane crash sequence that precedes it; he really puts Hanks' Noland through the wringer. The convenience of those parcels washing ashore notwithstanding, Noland is battered, bruised, and has dental issues—the familiar Robinson Crusoe tropes are present, but Zemeckis and a sincere Hanks place us on the island alongside him, with credit also due to the sound team’s excellent work. However, Cast Away suffers from weak framing at either end. The initial introductions of characters are forgettable, though adequate for setting up the plot, and the conclusion lacks emotional impact, undermining what has been established. Helen Hunt's lack of chemistry with Hanks doesn't help matters, although that’s compounded by the writing from William Broyles Jr., as it’s only Noland whose fate we truly invest in. It feels a little unfair to criticize too harshly though, because Zemeckis kept us focused on Chuck's experience; there are no returns to grieving families or futile rescue missions. Consequently, it was a remarkably effective one-person show, even if that ultimately makes the ending feel disappointing. 7.5/10

Source on TMDB