Based on Charles Martin’s novel, old-fashioned romance The Mountain Between Us is an oddly generic project for director Hany Abu-Assad, given his background in complex political drama (Paradise Now, Omar). When adventurous photojournalist Alex (Winslet) and cautious surgeon Ben (Elba) find themselves stranded in Salt Lake City Airport after a storm, the two decide to charter a plane together, because Romantic Movie Logic.

When their plane goes down and they find themselves stranded somewhere in the Rockies, they must struggle to survive the cold and the cougars – and presumably the knowledge that giving in to their sexually charged glances would lead to frostbite in some very awkward places.

Abu-Assad and cinematographer Mandy Walker capture the epic beauty of the mountains, and give an electric charge to the tense action sequences. Among the latter is the plane’s plummet to the ground, where Abu-Assad rotates the camera within the aircraft, before showing the cockpit POV to truly capture the spiralling terror.

The visuals add occasional interest to an otherwise run-of-the-mill romance, which loses the book’s musings about the role of love and marriage in modern life. Indeed, for a tale of two characters connecting while facing their mortality, Chris Weitz’s screenplay simply has no depth. The script also lacks key plot details, such as how far the duo must travel, or even over how many days the film is set.

Despite the film’s shortcomings, the actors’ warmth shines through, with Elba’s oft-ignored sensitivity nicely foiling Winslet’s headstrong charm. It’s a pity the material is so saccharine, but if you can turn your brain off, you might just make it through.