A wayward school bus driver and a dedicated school teacher battle to save 22 children from a terrifying inferno.
Chuck says:
On the morning of November 8, 2018, a powerline from a tower owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company broke during a windstorm and fell to the ground in Northern Butte County in California. Having gone without rain for 121 days, the area was a tinderbox waiting for the slightest spark to ignite. Aided by 60 mph winds, the fire spread over an area of 153,000 acres, burned for 17 days and resulted in 85 deaths. Property damage was estimated to be $16.65 billion, as the communities of Concow, Magalia, Butte Creek Canyon and Paradise were wiped off the map.
As with most incidents of this sort, heroic deeds were performed, not simply by firefighters and other emergency personnel but by ordinary citizens as well. Paul Greengrass’ “The Lost Bus” tells the story of one such man and woman, a school bus driver and teacher who find themselves in the midst of this disaster while trying to shepherd 22 children to a safe zone. Intense performances from the two leads, as well as the immersive approach Greengrass has become known for makes for a harrowing and ultimately moving experience.
Having returned home to Paradise with his distant teenage son in tow, Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey) is living with his ailing mother. Attempting to start over after his marriage has fallen apart, he’s taken a job as bus driver, a position that hardly pays the bills or bolsters his self-esteem. Often late and shirking his most basic responsibilities, it’s obvious he’s far from invested in the job. So, it comes as a bit of a surprise to his supervisor (Ashlie Atkinson) when McKay volunteers to transport a group of children and their teacher to an evacuation point as, what will come to be called the Camp Fire, approaches Paradise.
Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera) initially doesn’t grasp the enormity of the disaster headed their way as she loads her 22 young charges on McKay’s bus. However, she soon learns the dire straits they’re in when they end up unable to move on the main road out of town and the fire rapidly surrounds them. Things become more dire when they reach their destination, only to find it abandoned and on fire. With radio and phone communication down, McKay is unsure where to go yet keeps on the move in the hopes that an avenue to safety will reveal itself.
Greengrass cuts back and forth between these events and scenes of firefighting officials and their attempts to contain the fire. This allows us to be privy to the systematic inadequacies they had to contend with, Chief Martinez (Yul Vazquez) scrambling to move his resources about in a frantic effort to arrest this disaster and save those in peril. Screenwriters Brad Ingelsby and Lizzie Johnson are far from critical of their efforts. Rather, these scenes are an indictment of those who refuse to recognize the changes in the environment that contribute to disasters of this nature.
As he did with “United 93” and “Captain Phillips,” Greengrass employs a handheld camera and tight shots, the result being a claustrophobic, intimate experience that replicates the all-consuming nature of the disaster. The constant darkness produced by the smoke contributes to the idea there’s no escape from the fire and that McKay’s efforts are getting him nowhere. It’s a very effective approach that separates the filmmaker’s work from that of the run-of-the-mill disaster movie. The intensity he creates always proves unnerving, and as a result, raises the emotional stakes and our investment in the film.
Contributing to this are the turns from McConaughey, Ferrera and the young actors they share the screen with. The genuine nature of their efforts compliment Greengrass’ approach, all of it creating an experience that taps into our primal fears, leaving the viewer as exhausted at the characters they’re rooting for. While “Bus”’ strongest suit is the vicarious experience it provides, the overall message of the movie should not be ignored. Innocent people are caught in the crosshairs of partisan politics. A call for environmental reform is at the heart of this cautionary tale, its warning likely to fall on disinterested ears, as they continue to regard the harm done to innocent citizens and the loss of all they own just so much collateral damage for our continued way of life.
3 1/2 Stars
