Movie Breakdown: Land (Noah)

Pre-Screening Stance:

Robin Wright is giving directing a swing? I’m totally there.

Post-Screening Ramble:

First time directors often make the mistake of turning every level up to 11, as if this initial performance be their last. Not so with Robin Wright’s Land, an exercise in restraint and simplicity that is all the more powerful for it. The film starts with Edee (Wright) having moved, with some objection from her realtor, to an exceptionally remote cabin without power or transportation or, as we quickly learn, knowledge of how to survive in the wilderness. We learn in flashbacks that Edee has experienced horrific trauma and her decision to detach from society is a quiet form of suicide. After stumbling into the brutal winter inherent to a mountain, Edee nearly dies, only to be saved by Miguel (Demian Bichir at his most quietly charming), a local outdoorsman with an equally devastating past. As the two survivors grow closer, Edee starts to emerge from beneath layers of grief. This isn’t a dramatic film. It’s rooted by two exceptionally low-key and wonderful performances, but the narrative journey emerges in the smallest flickers of emotion across our two leads faces. Wright is amazing and watching the slow process of her regaining her humanity is a wonderful experience. As a first time director, Wright avoids the pitfalls of style over substance, crafting a small, sober film with a decidedly warm and empathetic core. This isn’t a film that shouts, but it doesn’t need to.

Land arrives in some theaters and on VOD this Friday, February 12th.

One Last Thing:

If you were ever thinking about pulling an Into the Wild sort of disappearance, I believe Land will dispel you of the notion.