‘Infinite Storm’ Review: Naomi Watts Combats Wild Nature Again

Dennis Harvey Film CriticNaomi Watts has had a penchant for highly physical roles unusual among female stars not particularly associated with action movies. It made her acrobatics the most special effect amidst so many CG wonders in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong,” and a vividly plausible victim of grueling crises in films like “Funny Games” and “The Impossible.” Of course, one can always get too much of a good thing, as when recent, regrettable “The Desperate Hour” seemed to reduce the hot-button topic of school shootings to a gimmicky “Watch this fearless actress run the gamut of emotions while JOGGING!”Fortunately, there is nothing gratuitous about the physicality demanded of Watts by “Infinite Storm,” which is based on a real-life incident that took place in New Hampshire’s White Mountains a dozen years ago.

Visually splendid, Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska’s second English-language feature (following 2019’s “The Other Lamb”) is an impressive outdoor adventure ideally suited to the more athletic side of its star’s skill set, even if it’s not quite so rewarding in terms of emotional involvement—we feel more exasperation than inspiration at watching our heroine struggle to rescue an uncooperative manbaby from the peril he’s put himself (and her) in. Bleecker Street is releasing the international co-production to U.S.

theaters on March 25. While she grumbles at getting out of bed before dawn one November morning, we quickly realize from her gear and meticulous preparation that Pam Bales (Watts) is no casual day-hiker.

Setting out to climb Mount Washington on a date of personal remembrance, undaunted by ominous weather reports or snow already on the ground, she’s well-prepared for any emergency. Still, hours later she