"Movie Review: Matthew McConaughey Delivers Star Power in True-Life Disaster Saga 'The Lost Bus'"
In the upcoming film "The Lost Bus," Matthew McConaughey plays Kevin McKay, a school bus driver who famously rescued 22 grade school students from the Camp Fire, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. The movie, which opens in limited release on Sept. 19 and debuts on Apple TV on Oct. 3, is based on this true story.
Directed by Paul Greengrass, the film takes a dramatic turn, with a rocky ride that veers from the maudlin to the theatrically threatening. The movie's depiction of fire is intended to instill terror, with scenes of a California town burning depicted like a war zone. Cinematographer Pal Ulvik Rokseth uses POV shots for the fire, starting low to the ground and increasing in height and speed, suggesting the rushing of the wind and how it carries the flames farther and faster.
However, the film has been criticised for its portrayal of women. The female characters, particularly Camilla da Silva and Betty Hasler, are portrayed rather flatly without deep or complex character development. Their roles mainly serve to drive the male protagonist's plot rather than explore nuanced gender dynamics, reflecting a generally difficult and one-dimensional depiction of gender relationships in the film.
This criticism extends to the movie's slyly misogynistic portrayal of conflicts with women in various roles, including Kevin's mother, ex-wife, boss, and pharmacist. However, Ashlie Atkinson's performance as Ruby, the director of the Paradise bus depot, is almost single-handedly saving "The Lost Bus" from its regressive sexist messaging.
Atkinson's character, Ruby, is not a romantic interest for Kevin, the movie's protagonist. Instead, she is portrayed as trying to make order out of chaos, comforting awaiting parents without providing false hope. Ruby's role is initially presented as thin, but Atkinson's performance adds significant dramatic weight. Greengrass offers some recompense by having Kevin make brief amends with some of the women who were painted as his antagonists.
Greengrass and Ingelsby take great pains to show just how hard Kevin has it before the fire, setting up that he must contend with emasculation at every turn. Atkinson's character, Ruby, is often subjected to feigned politeness that borders on infantilization in a male-dominated workforce. Despite these challenges, Atkinson delivers a compelling performance that elevates the film above its questionable portrayals.
