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doomonfilm · 3 years ago

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Thoughts : Land (2021)

We need to take a minute and talk about Robin Wright. With almost 40 years of acting experience under her belt, one would think that she would be a celebrated and award-adorned individual, but outside of her numerous Emmy wins for House of Cards, she has surprisingly received very little recognition during awards season. We’re talking about a career that includes The Princess Bride, Toys, Forrest Gump, Unbreakable, Nine Lives, Moneyball, The Congress, Blade Runner 2049 and so much more, and yet, when the Golden Globes or the Oscars roll around, her name is not called. That may change soon, however, as Land, her most recent film, not only finds her in the starring role, but also finds her in the director’s chair for the first time, making this the kind of project that raises attention.

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Robin Wright has always been an immense talent, so it makes sense that her directorial debut would look and feel like the work of a seasoned veteran with a clear vision. Wright wisely takes a story with a relatively simple framework and premise that has plenty of room for introspective moments and character-based drama, the second half of which is the Robin Wright wheelhouse, and she works it for all that it is worth, and in turn, creates an impressive piece of work that will likely garner her some award buzz on both the acting and production sides. The film is a very patient one in the way that it doles out information while still leaving room for retrospective inference, such as the way we question Edee’s hesitancy to use a weapon at the cost of starvation, only to learn later just how deep that particular line of emotion and rationality pierces Edee’s soul. The film expertly deals with both the dark and light aspects of how Edee attempts to run away from her past, and through giving the self to the process, is able to find some sort of peace and personal evolution.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Land is the way that it asks some deeply philosophical questions about life, existence and nature. Though not explicitly stated, Edee’s disconnection from society is indicated to be a personal choice to end her life by succumbing to forces of nature. While nature is extremely tough on her, the happenstance aspect of her cabin being in Miguel’s hunting path ends up being the thing that saves her life, both literally and philosophically. Through Miguel and Alawa’s kind and selfless actions, not to mention their choice to respect Edee’s wishes to keep her business personal, nature is positioned as inherently kind, selfless and ultimately pro-survival. Through this natural insistence and persistence, Edee is transformed from a traumatized victim looking for escape into a functional loner reconnecting with herself and her understanding of what life is. Though Miguel is present as a source of assistance and education, he is not presented as Edee’s saving grace or Prince Charming, which allows Edee (and in turn, Robin Wright) to empower and express herself in both the journey of the character and Wright as a first time director.

Wyoming is shown in all of its natural glory, both in its warm greens, browns and blues of the Spring and its harsh, unforgiving snow-covered Winter, not to mention some beautiful twilight and magic hour moments of the Sun setting over the horizon line. The mixture of symphonic score with bluegrass-based elements like banjo, fiddle and guitar helps capture both the grandness of the setting and the extremely deep personal nature of the story, serving as a bridge between it all that helps us immerse and put ourselves into Edee’s journey emotionally. The camerawork helps with this emotional osmosis, often placing us either directly over Edee’s shoulder or in the position of a loved one casually observing her, with the exception of the dramatic overhead shots during her times of distress and the fabulous second unit location photography. The amount and array of wildlife captured on camera is also a testament to the natural beauty of Wyoming, with bears, deer, elk, coyotes, wolves and more all finding moments to make appearances.

Robin Wright is certainly an actor’s actor, and she digs deep into her bag of tricks to carry the majority of the film in isolation, meaning that all of the pain, regret, fear, sadness and eventual personal pride she internalizes is all communicated through her eyes and facial expressions. When Demián Bichir enters the picture, he and Wright are given the opportunity to delve into dramatic wells of personal regret and hurt, with each using their character’s family drama as a way to connect before eventually moving on to connecting on a primal level through the art of sharing survival skills. Sarah Dawn Pledge is a kind but firm presence, continuing the thread of natural kindness while still allowing room for human inquiry and doubt to be present. Appearances by Kim Dickens, Brad Leland and a small handful of others round out the intimate cast.

I’ll be looking forward to seeing if Robin Wright gets the props she rightfully deserves this upcoming February, but with the history of shining talents being overlooked, not to mention the lack of stability in the industry at the moment, it wouldn’t be a surprise to me if the ball of recognition got dropped. That being said, if you have HBOMax and 90 free minutes, and you don’t mind a direct shot to the feels, you should go ahead and give Land your time and attention.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #RobinWright #Land #DemiánBichir #SarahDawn #KimDickens #BradLeland

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