Friday, September 15, 2017

Wind River

We saw it last night.  We are definitely not moving to Wyoming.

Acting: Good performances by all, including the astonishingly uncharismatic Jeremy Renner as a tracker and hunter working for the Fish & Wildlife Service, Elizabeth Olsen, the Olsen non-twin, as an FBI agent and native Floridian, Graham Greene, an actor who makes every film he appears in better, as the tribal police chief, and Gil Birmingham as the grieving father of the girl whose death on the Wind River reservation sets the plot in motion.

Screenplay: Dialogue, when we could understand it, veered wildly from solid to overly simple and also included too much forced revelation of backstory. 

Plot: Because so much of the dialogue was incomprehensible, it was difficult at times to tell who was who and who had done what to whom.  If you know what I mean.

Best Line:  The tribal police chief responding to the FBI agent's suggestion they get backup; "This isn't the land of backup Jane, it's the land of you're on your own."

Summary:  Decent film, primarily because of performances.  Wanted it to be better.  It wasn't.

Awards:

Most incomprehensible dialogue in a non-Christopher Nolan film.  Perhaps they speak a different language in Wyoming.  I saw it with four other people.  None of us could decipher much of the dialogue.  Should have had subtitles.

Most off-putting tagline at end of film.  Tacked on to a good closing scene it completely spoiled the mood, though obviously intended to convey the message this was a "serious" film.

Movie that most makes you want to drive a snowmobile at 80 mph.  U.S. winner only.  Global award retired 20 years ago by Jackie Chan's First Strike

Best medical explanation of why it is not good to run fast in the snow at -20F in your bare feet.

Best misdirection through editing by use of a couple of very short cuts to one individual.  Happens towards end of film and involves local non-tribal police officer.  I thought the movie was being overly obvious about what was going to happen but that's what they were trying to make you think.  They then took things in a different direction.

Most ludicrous gunfight inserted to work screenplay out of plot trouble in supposedly serious film.

Film most disliked by Wyoming Office of Tourism.

Here's the trailer (bonus - you can actually understand the dialogue!)

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