Review of Wind River (2017) by Marcmifsud — 12 Feb 2019

BREAKDOWN.

Writing (Taylor Sheridan): The story of 'Wind River' is beautiful and structured flawlessly. I even enjoyed the flashback they threw in to give us the backstory on the crime. It was also a nice little surprise visit from Jon Bernthal. The characters were very well-written and each one was emotionally complex. In addition, that ending was incredibly satisfying. 8/10.

Performances: The acting is all wonderful, whether it be from the central cast or the supporting. It was beautiful watching the hospital scene and seeing Elizabeth Olsen break down, very similar to the medic scene from Captain Philips. I only saw one problem with the acting and it came from an extra. When Natalie's dead body is lying on the examination table, the actress playing the dead body is seen breathing through the diaphragm. It's small but noticeable. 8/10.

Cinematography (Ben Richardson): The cinematography is outstanding in this film and goes the extra mile to show off the beautiful scenery of the snow-covered mountains. Absolutely flawless on the part of Richardson. 10/10.

Editing (Gary Roach): I was surprised to see how great the editing was, especially during some parts where I can imagine it was challenging. The moment of the pepper spray raid was well-edited, as well as the flashback. 10/10.

Visual Effects: The VFX were well-done and seamless from the practical effects. From the blood running down characters' faces to the look of frostbite to the dead animals. It all looked stunning and is exactly how filmmakers should apply VFX. 10/10.

Enjoyment: 'Wind River' is a very exciting film that constantly has the audience's attention and curiosity. It even goes the extra mile to make sure it satisfies the viewer with an incredible ending and a connection to the real world we live in. 8/10.

Musical Score (Nick Cave/Warren Ellis): Cave and Ellis bring it again with a beautiful score after their excellent job on 'Hell or High Water'. The soundtrack is very similar to that soundtrack but supplies some different tracks that help convey the freezing cold of this setting. 9/10.

Sound Mixing: The sound mixing is very well-done in this flick as we're given a lot of ambiance through the sound alone. Even the gunshots are well done, minus the fact that some of the sound effects they used for the gunshots were ones used in many movies before. However, that was not distracting enough to be a problem. 9/10.

Production Design (Neil Spisak): The scenes were well-designed from the cabins and trailers to the yards they reside in. Even the natural settings are beautifully crafted. 10/10.

Overall: 'Wind River' is another excellent film by Taylor Sheridan after my personal favorite of his 'Hell or High Water.' The film is mysterious and jaw-dropping while also opening our eyes to travesties done toward Native American people.