Review of Wind River (2017) by Reel Life R — 24 Aug 2017

Wind River - Hawkeye and the Scarlet Witch try to solve a murder in Wyoming. That's really all I thought it was going in, but it's so much more than your average whodunit.

As it turns out Mary Kate & Ashley's lil' sister can act. I've only seen her in supporting roles, and while she hasn't been bad, I didn't really see 'leading lady' potential there. Here she takes full advantage of the opportunities she's given with this role, putting to bed any notion that she isn't ready for top billing.

Jeremy Renner is strong as well, actually delivering what I consider to be his best performance since The Town in 2010. He comes off like he's already lived two lifetimes, neither of which were easy. Stoic and stolid, but still vulnerable and empathetic, he pulled me in right away.

The movie goes along at a calm and steady pace, but all at once it shifts to an uncomfortable and intense climax. Having that stark contrast in the final scenes, and forgoing the gradual increase in urgency, was an impressive choice by this first-time director.

There is a scene where a character is giving an emotional backstory, but I couldn't concentrate on what they were saying due to the way it was shot. The character is indoors, standing still, but you'd think they were on the deck of a ship with how the camera was moving. It felt like the guy behind the lens was doing the sign of the cross with the camera the entire time, trying to exercise some unseen demons. Unfortunately it took away from an otherwise powerful moment.

My only other complaint, and don't quote me on this, but I think they used digital snow in one of the early scenes. It just looks overly affected, and doesn't seem to accumulate on anyone or anything. Again, I could be wrong, but it felt markedly different than the snowfall in other scenes.

It's a smaller film, but I'm hoping those Sundance leaves on the poster can push it into the awards conversation. It feels like a movie that will either get completely passed over, or rake in the nominations. And while you can guess I won't be calling for Best Cinematography or Best Visual Effects, I'd be hard pressed to bet against it in any other category.