Keanu Reeves’ Relentless Pursuit of Perfection in Siberia

There’s no shortage of action flicks from the ’90s that are a bit hit and miss, but there’s one bloke who absolutely owned the genre and, in my book, deserves nothing but respect. I’ve sat through just about every film he led during that era, all in the name of a not-so-secret fondness for the wild and over-the-top. There’s a certain charm in the chaos, and Keanu Reeves was at the centre of it all.

It all kicked off with Speed. That high-adrenaline thriller had him racing to keep a bus from blowing up, needing to keep it above 80km/h the whole time. The whole thing was gloriously far-fetched – from the wild premise to the way Reeves dodged disaster, and let’s not forget the bus somehow leaping a 15-metre gap on a Los Angeles freeway. Then came Point Break, which only ramped up the madness. Skydiving without a parachute, learning to surf monster waves in a matter of weeks, and spending every waking moment with Gary Busey. It was all completely bonkers, but that’s what made it so gripping. Watching Reeves deliver his lines with that trademark serious look, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was anything he couldn’t pull off – or, more to the point, anything he could do that I wouldn’t watch.

Changing Tides in a New Era

But as the calendar ticked over to the 2000s, things started to shift. Audiences were after more realism on the big screen, which, for the most part, I was all for. Suddenly, Reeves’ spot among my all-time favourites felt a bit shaky. He churned out a string of forgettable romcoms and family-friendly action films, and my guilty pleasure started to fade. Not even his relentless rampages in the John Wick series, all in the name of avenging his dog, could quite bring back the old magic. It was a clear sign that times had changed.

Then, in 2018, Reeves took on Siberia. This time, he played a dodgy diamond dealer heading into the frozen wilds to track down a missing mate, only to get caught up in a dangerous mess and a complicated romance. It was a return to the kind of action-packed story that had made him a legend, but with a twist – the real standout moment wasn’t a wild stunt, but something much more subtle.

The Scene That Took Weeks to Nail

Director Matthew Ross pointed out the scene that really set the film apart:

“There’s a scene where he has to pick up a diamond with a set of tweezers,” Ross said. “He holds it up to his eye and looks at it. Now, I would challenge anyone to do that properly after a month. It’s one of these deceptively, unbelievably difficult things to do. Keanu spent weeks practising.”

Ross went on,

“He just wanted to get it right. I wanted somebody who works in the diamond business to see him pick up the diamond and feel it’s right. Keanu was like, ‘Yeah, 100%.’ I didn’t even have to tell him that. People spend years perfecting that craft. Keanu had to figure it out in three weeks, but he doesn’t take shortcuts.”

Dedication Without Shortcuts

So, there it is. Once again, I’m left asking myself if there’s anything this bloke can’t do – or, more importantly, if there’s anything he can do that I wouldn’t be keen to watch. The answer, as always, is a resounding no.