Land (2021)

I like Robin Wright's acting tremendously but after this movie am not enthused about her directing.

If you have ever lived in a remote area you will see the many inconsistencies in the story and will be frustrated by the character's stupidity and arrogance, if you haven't they won't bother you. I could have got past all the holes if the movie had been otherwise engaging, but I found it flat.

It is obvious what this film wants to be: a moving ode to recovery from grief, a survival tale set in an overwhelming world that most of us are just too under-prepared to deal with. But apart from a bit of decent acting it feels hollow. The pacing is monotonous - there just aren't any builds, lulls, no highs, no lows. The 'danger' scenes feel much the same as the 'touching' and the 'lonely' scenes; the wind, rain and snow feel much the same as the sunshine. There is no evocation of feeling, no momentum, no passing of time (the seasons are so confusing it is ridiculous).

There's nothing to grab you and pull you in. The beautiful shots of the Rockies don't evoke a sense of sweeping grandeur, they are flashed on screen for a moment and come off feeling like so much desktop wallpaper. It's all just surface stuff: here's a pretty vista, here are some deer, a bear (who is not hibernating in winter.) There is no struggle, things just happen. A dog was introduced and it wasn't even used it as a device to work the audience's emotions. It's just there for set dressing like a movie star's toy dog. (And to project the ending I suppose, which it gives away.)

But for one night scene the sounds of the mountains were almost completely absent: the birds, owls at night, foxes screeching, raccoons foraging, mice, insects buzzing, etc. No mosquitoes or black flies? The Rocky Mountains are a riot of sound and life. Sound that would have filled out those empty scenes, given us a sense of place, added to the hardship. I didn't feel the wind or rain or dirt under her nails, or hear the shots of the gun ring out through the wood in a death knell for the first deer she killed. It was too clean. It should have been a life changing moment, loud and harsh.

Perhaps RW left out the visceral elements in order to show the character did not feel anything, but if so the audience still needs to experience the wilderness - that's part of the contract when you make a survival film. We get to be in that place. Not evoking the senses is an amateur mistake in any film but especially a nature one. Nature should be an omnipresent force, a character - the antagonist - in a movie like this, but in "Land" she felt oddly passive and removed.

The only part of this film that really worked was the end - the actor who played the savior was excellent and moving.

I hope if Robin Wright directs another film she doesn't act in it - it is a large order to both star in and direct a film and I think this one suffers from both lack of focus and lack of experience. Also sub-par editing.

Fmovies: Not a good reviewer myself, but just want to say this: Depressing story, but other than that, the environment in the movie is beautiful, nature is amazing.

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Who doesn't appreciate Robin Wright's career as an actress? Every time I see her name attached to a film, I can't help but feel excited about it. So, obviously, any movie with her would be one of my most anticipated films of Sundance. However, the main reason why I was highly expecting Land wasn't due to her acting credit, but because this is her feature directorial debut. Her performance didn't disappoint me, though, much on the contrary. Wright continues to prove her talent time and time again, delivering an incredibly captivating interpretation of a character who demonstrates that perseverance and the will to live can work as a healing method in the worst of times. An extraordinary character-study written by Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam.

However, it's her role as the director that surprises me the most. Her vision is clearly depicted through sumptuous cinematography (Bobby Bukowski) and an original score (Ben Sollee, Time For Three) that becomes part of the narrative. In fact, I dare write that without its music, Land would lack that special element to elevate everything as a whole. Well, to be fair, the Rockies hold landscapes so jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring that I would sincerely enjoy just staring at this movie for its sceneries.

It's one of the best-looking films I've seen in the last few years, and that's a key component because story-wise, there isn't much action or impactful events going - except for the last couple of revelatory minutes - which might become tiresome for some viewers. It's a bit odd how usually, I don't see great replay value in this type of movies, but I genuinely want to revisit this one for its visuals and score. I can't end this review without praising Demián Bichir, who offers a performance as remarkable as Wright's. Absolutely phenomenal.

Land is an outstanding feature directorial debut from Robin Wright, who also delivers one of my favorite performances of hers. An incredibly inspirational film that relies on its unforgettable visuals and an extremely engaging score to present me with one of my favorite movies of this year's Sundance. Without the shadow of a doubt, it's one of the most gorgeously shot films I've seen in quite a long time. Every single scene is filled with an awe-inspiring landscape in the background that took me to the beautiful snowy mountains in such an emotional manner. Thank you, Bobby Bukowski, for your jaw-dropping cinematography, but it's Ben Sollee and Time For Three's score that elevate the overall picture in a way that without their music, the storytelling would suffer tremendously. Demián Bichir also deserves as much praise as Wright when it comes to their acting displays. Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam's screenplay isn't groundbreaking, but Land breaks my personal tendency of feeling that this type of movie lacks replay value. I'll rewatch this sooner or later, and I recommend everyone to do the same.

Rating: A-

Land fmovies. First of all, I want to say how good it was to see a newly released movie on the big screen. I missed "going" to the movies. This may very well prejudice this review. This was a beautiful movie, epic in landscape, quiet in thought, skillful in silent performance. Filmed in the Canadian Rockies (or as Robin Wright said, "the Alberta mountains"), the location is equally a character. It has garnered many film festival accolades and I've heard it described as Wright's greatest work. It definitely was her work. She produced, performed and directed it. It is a beautiful piece of film making. I give this film an 8 (beautiful) out of 10. {Drama}

LAND is a touching study of a woman steeped in grief, determined to leave life behind in the midst of a devastating happening. Robin Wright effectively directs from an angle of isolation, both of place and of mind. It's a solid directorial debut and a raw, emotional performance. A lot of moments and scenarios feel familiar, and while that hinders the overall experience, LAND is so beautifully shot with such deeply heartfelt performances that it earns a lot of respect by the end. The film's biggest achievement is the its second half, and the subtle way it works through grief and pain in restrained, tender moments.

This film was a gorgeous piece that captures both the complex internal and external landscape with grace. Robin Wright does a phenomenal job acting especially given that the dialogue is sparse.