"Land" a stirring, cathartic human story

Land (2021)


Many understandably lament that there aren’t enough female stories being told. When actresses over 50 don’t always get the juicy, interesting parts they deserve beyond the concerned wife or the side dish, they go ahead and make their own movie, putting themselves number one on the call sheet. Robin Wright (who has directed ten episodes of Netflix’s “House of Cards”) makes her feature directorial debut with “Land,” a quiet, soulful character drama. It will sound like an incredibly simple and trite in-nature variation on “Eat Pray Love”—or another "Wild"—but there is a lot more than just breathtaking views, any of which could make for a pretty picture on a desktop or a framed photograph. “Land” has a gorgeous canvas for director of photography Bobby Bukowski to paint, but its emotional impact is even greater.


In grief, Edee (Robin Wright) throws out her phone, leaves society, and drives to a remote log cabin in the Wyoming mountains. On the brink of suicide, she chooses to not be around people, making herself physically alone as she does feel internally. Edee knows living on her own without electricity, running water, or any technology will not be easy, but she will take things as they come, whether it’s blisters from chopping wood, rain leaking through the cabin, or her water jug getting swept up in a raging river. As the weather grows harsher and winter is coming, Edee barely makes it from starvation, until two Good Samaritans find her. A hunter, Miguel (Demián Bichir), and his doctor friend Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge) nurse her back to health. As Miguel agrees to stay on and get Edee back on her feet without the desire of going to a hospital, the two of them develop a companionship that might prove to be mutually vital. 


“Land” is one of those simple films that manages to never be simplistic. Dramatically, it might be closer to Robert Redford’s very spare “All is Lost.” There is still conflict, like the unforgiving elements not always being on Edee’s side, and a bear ransacking most of her food in the cabin. Living off the land is arduous when Edee isn't watching the sunset from an outside tub, Ciallis commercial-style, and the shoot in Alberta, Canada must have been the same way. The script by Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam allows viewers to figure out what has pushed Edee to this self-isolation. We can assume Edee had a family once, based on the man and little boy she sees while fishing. We can also assume that Edee knows a little about camping and gardening, but she is not prepared to be a survivalist when it comes to hunting or trapping. Not every film about the grieving process has to be drab and volatile, but there is personal growth out of tragedy and a disconnectedness that makes Edee less insular.


Giving herself a role that’s difficult emotionally as it is physical, Robin Wright gives a compellingly understated performance, conveying Edee’s internal crisis in the film's mostly wordless first half. Edee has made the decision to live off the grid as if she’s going off to die; when the man who guides her there with her U-Haul trailer and a rental car encourages her to keep a vehicle in case of an emergency, Edee could care less about being safe. If she survives the land, so be it, and if she doesn’t survive the land, so be it. As Miguel, the always-welcome Demián Bichir is more than a variation on the magical savior trope, bringing such a lovely compassion that often goes unspoken. He is actually closer to Edee’s own personal Yoda, even though Miguel has never seen a “Star Wars” movie. When Edee asks Miguel why he is helping her all, he simply answers, “You were in my path.” Their moments together are tender and wisely never make any romantic moves, as they try to remember the lyrics and sing along to Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” If the last few scenes between Miguel and Edee that reveal parallels are a wee bit contrived, they are no less powerfully acted and affecting. Also, Kim Dickens, as she always does, makes the most with only a few scenes as Edee’s sister Emma.


Stirring, keenly observed, and cathartic, “Land” is a human story achingly told. One can just hear the cynics now, “Oh, another privileged white lady story about the resilience of the human spirit,” but it is exciting to see Robin Wright, the filmmaker, merge with Robin Wright, the actress. Wright’s direction is capable yet unadorned, as the naturally rustic beauty of the Wyoming wilderness can speak for itself through Bobby Kukowski’s lensing with an assist by Ben Sollee and Time for Three’s beautifully solemn score. “Land” might not be rule-breaking cinema by any stretch, but what it says about human connection in the face of tragedy is gently and movingly handled. Something about it stirs the soul and purges the darkness. In fact, it might make one heck of a meditative, life-affirming double feature with Chloé Zhao’s "Nomadland." 

Grade: B +


Focus Features is releasing “Land” (88 min.) in theaters on February 12, 2021.

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