Reel Review Roundup

Land (M)

Directed by: Robin Wright

Starring: Robin Wright, Demian Bichir, Kim Dickens

Review by: Julian Wright

The spectacle filled monster smack-down Godzilla vs. Kong recently got bums back in cinemas seats, but now we are presented with Robin Wright against the elements in this tale of woman vs. nature; a thoughtful, beautifully shot story of grief, living off the grid and isolation.

Edee (Robin Wright) gives up her city dwelling lifestyle, buys an isolated, rundown cabin in the Wyoming wilderness, ditches her mobile phone and heads out to her new home with a handful of belongings and a few boxes of tinned food.

When she asks her real estate agent to take her vehicle, it seems that Edee is not intent on returning to her old city lifestyle.

She is not running away from anything or anyone, nor is she on the lam; instead, Edee has experienced something so emotionally traumatising that she wants to cut herself off from civilisation – even if it means dying alone out there in the wilderness.

For her first feature film project as director, Wright has taken on some meaty, character driven material scripted by Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam – a story that delves into the grieving process of a modern, middle-aged woman. Sure, Edee’s process may seem a little extreme at first, but it is a version that we have not seen.

As Edee, Wright puts herself through the wringer, making living off the land look like a torturous experience. The scenery is spectacular, but it is not to be taken for granted.

Her interactions with other humans are few and far between, and kudos to the storytellers for not turning good Samaritan Miguel (Demian Bichir) into a schmaltzy love interest or romantic distraction for Edee, who retains her stance on remaining physically and emotionally isolated.

The final revelation on what actually motivates her, delivered towards the end in one of the final moments after being teased and hinted at throughout the film, is likely to get you teary eyed, leaving you with an emotionally satisfying conclusion to this heartfelt, human story.

This entry was posted on April 28, 2021 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.