Wind River

After a pretty forgettable time(s) at the movies last weekend -- what movies did I see again? Oh yeah -- I took it upon myself to ensure that these next two weekends would either 

A) be ones where I skipped the cinema OR

B) ones where I would ensure that I'd be seeing some special films. 

While Hollywood is releasing next to nothing this weekend and next in preparation for a somewhat back-loaded September (Kingsman, I'm coming for you!!), there are some indies finally making their way to my new favorite theater with some bargain matinee times. Alamo Draft House Sloan's Lake woot woot!

Wind River is one of those films. Without leaving you in suspense, the other is Good Time which I'll be catching next weekend. I've heard a lot of good things about River and for some strange reason I thought it was a book first, and one that I very much wanted to read. Turns out it's not, or at least not the story of this film isn't, so I figured this week would be as good as any to check it out. 

Wind River is a film that I can already tell will stick with me for several weeks, if not months. It's a potent thriller that unfolds slowly but is so damn engaging and well crafted that I could barely take my eyes off it. Many facets play into that but probably the biggest reason is a quality about films that I don't talk about often: writing. Wind River's script by director Taylor Sheridan (who unsurprisingly did the writing for Sicario) is consistently enlightening and gives the film a lot of purpose in its slower moments. It's not designed to have a bunch of garbled nonsense with intermittent "quotables", but rather each character says what they mean with reason and if they have nothing to say at all, Sheridan is fine embracing silence. It's a weird thing to notice in a film, yes, but I have to commend it for how significantly it adds to the film's level of quality. 

Too chilly!

They've ditched their Avengers costumes
for much more practical gear

And there's a lot of other stuff to love with this one. For starters, the cinematography of a wintery Wyoming is gorgeous and haunting. You can almost feel the cold emanating off the screen, especially with small additions from the sound editing. Silence is only set aside for the eerie whisper through pines and trees -- something I'm very familiar with as a Coloradan -- and the crunch of snow under feet. The more intimate camera work and editing when it's not capturing vistas or nature is also done wonderfully with a keen eye for capturing what is happening at any moment and not cutting away too early. A poignant but woefully underused original score is truly haunting, yet simple, as well. 

There's also several really strong performances by nearly everyone in the cast, but especially Renner and Olsen. Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch have met their worst adversary in the cold Wyoming tundra and it loo -- I'm sorry. I had to. But in all seriousness, they each play distinct characters who don't waver from who they are or feel like total cookie cutter plot devices either. Olsen is a seemingly new-ish FBI agent who's talented, but out of her element. She soon learns that she'll need help in these parts and her performance is compelling. Renner on the other hand is stoic and badass. He plays a local hunter whom seems to cage his emotions away, but we come to find out, handles them very maturely. Renner easily gets the best script in the film as his character teaches us valuable lessons about life, grief, moving on, memories...oh, and gun safety. 

The only "fault" Wind River has, if any, is that the plot is fairly uninspired. I loved it personally for what it was and that it was based somewhat on a true story is crazy to me. But once you take away all the talent encapsulated in the film, it is a rather average mystery that burns maybe a little too slowly at the beginning setting up all the players and getting to where it needs to. Again, for me personally I was so captivated that it didn't matter, but I imagine some audiences will think this one is too slow. 

A much better "Bourne" film than Legacy, that's for damn sure

Wind River, to be quite frank, is just what I needed at the movies (and I'm guessing Good Time will be too). I've been uninspired for several weeks and I hate when this hobby feels like a chore. Honestly, sometimes it really does. And with my weekends getting busier I find it harder to justify seeing movies just for the sake of reviewing them. So it's films with the level of quality like Wind River that re-inspire me and remind me why I love doing this so much. 

CONS

• The original score is great and eerie. But only used a handful of times
• Peel back the layers and the plot is fairly straightforward and simple. Plus it burns a little too slowly at the beginning

PROS

• Some of the best writing in recent memory. The film and its characters have a lot of important things to say and Taylor Sheridan did a fantastic job translating those skills to the director chair too
• Renner and Olsen -- and really everyone else -- give strong, distinct character performances
• Engaging and tense throughout
• Phenomenal climax
• Haunting cinematography that does a good job making you think you're there
• Pacing and editing are on point
• Just a damn fine film. Well made in pretty much every regard

Rath's Review Score | 9/10