Land - SPOILER-FREE Review | Sundance 2021
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Directed by: Robin Wright
Written by: Jesse Chatham, Erin Dignam
Starring: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Kim Dickens
Runtime: 89 min
Synopsis: From acclaimed actress Robin Wright comes her directorial debut Land, the poignant story of one woman's search for meaning in the vast and harsh American wilderness. Edee (Wright), in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world she once knew and in the face of that uncertainty, retreats to the magnificent, but unforgiving, wilds of the Rockies. After a local hunter (Demián Bichir) brings her back from the brink of death, she must find a way to live again.
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 her acting credit, but 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.
Initially, Edee’s escape to the wilderness could be seen as a coward act from someone who doesn’t want to accept the harsh moments of life. Edee runs away to the mountains, isolating herself from everything and everyone. The purposefully slow pacing allows the viewer to breathe the same clean, fresh air from the Rockies as the protagonist, but its uneventful narrative might end up being a tad too heavy at times. Nevertheless, as time goes by, my emotional connection with the character grows stronger. From pretty much giving up on life to getting a second chance that deeply impacted her will to live, Edee becomes an increasingly compelling protagonist who overcomes all survival obstacles.
In the end, it’s Wright’s 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. The use of natural light and darkness allows for so many memorable images worthy of becoming the wallpaper of everyone’s computer screen.
It’s one of the best-looking films I’ve seen in the last few years, without the shadow of a doubt. Its visuals are a key component for the success of this movie since story-wise, there isn’t much action or impactful events happening - 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 magnificent technical achievements. I sincerely hope that most people can experience this film on the biggest screen possible in a wonderful theater.
I can’t end this review without praising Demián Bichir, who offers a performance as remarkable as Wright’s. His character, Miguel, works as the catalyst for Edee’s change of heart and soul, by simply being the most human a person can be. An extremely empathetic character who I can’t possibly point a single flaw. Miguel carries a surprisingly more impactful subplot than what I expected, offering a somewhat unexpected ending to an otherwise quite formulaic story. It might not be a groundbreaking piece of film, but it’s probably going to be stuck with me until the very end of the year.
Final Thoughts
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.
