Review of Wind River (2017) by Warren F — 05 Sep 2017

Hell yes. My kind of film. Wind River is the story of a murder of a young woman on a desolate, snow covered Indian Reservation in Wyoming and the investigation that follows. Said investigation is hampered by the remote nature of the Wind River Reservation and a seeming lack of interest from both the FBI and the local Tribal Police. That is, until things escalate and leave them little choice. Jeremy Renner is at home as a Fish and Wildlife tracker who gets shit done. Renner does best in this kind of role, rather than the more conventional action trope he briefly found himself him taking. Elizabeth Olsen represents the FBI and while we are led to believe that she's out of her depth, her intelligence and diligence drive the investigation forward. Graham Greene, as a Tribal Police Chief, interacts with our two main leads and steals a couple of scenes in the underplayed way Greene has done for the last several decades.

Wind River is directed by Taylor Sheridan, who wrote the screenplays for the brutal, but insightful Sicario, and the delightful and noir-ish Hell or High Water, my favorite film from last year. Sheridan gives us a deliberate, cold, and straightforward crime drama. Wind River does not indulge in twisty mystery nonsense. No, it's a contemplative look at violence, its lingering effects, and isolation. Wind River comes complete with two brief, but brutal gunfights and sumptuous wide shots of the wintry Wyoming landscape that look simultaneously beautiful and desolate. It's a satisfying and meaty post-modern western and a solid picture to view with a discerning eye.