Movie Review: Wind River

About two weeks ago on a Friday afternoon, my dad and I watched a movie from the writer of Hell or High Water, a modern-day Western that we'd enjoyed previously.

This new movie was called Wind River, and I had discovered it thanks to a friend of mine on DeviantArt, who'd mentioned it in a series of posts on movies he'd seen over the month of November. Hearing about the premise of the movie, and that it was written by the guy who'd helped create a really damn enjoyable movie experience already, I was interested, and looked for a copy. After a few months, I lucked out and found a DVD for a pretty decent price at my local Wal-Mart, and immediately snapped it up.

So then, Wind River. What's it about?

Our film opens on a grim scene, of a young Native American woman (her name later revealed to be Natalie Henson) running for her life barefoot across a snowy landscape, before collapsing and finally dying. Her body is found by US Fish and Wildlife Service agent Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), and the circumstances of Natalie's (played by Kelsey Asbille) death brings in rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) to investigate.

Spoiler: what they find isn't pretty. At all.

Wind River is a very well-made movie. It's also a very grim, tough experience too.

This is a movie set in one of the harshest, most inhospitable places in the United States. The film contains many memorable shots of the sheer vastness of the Wyoming landscape: it's technically early spring, but the land is an almost endless expanse of open white, when it isn't buried under more driving snow. This is a place that feels shut off, almost abandoned by the world; the Native people of the reservation left there by the government to scrape by, out of sight and out of mind.

When the reservation sheriff (played by Graham Greene) tells Jane, "I'm used to not receiving any help," it's a humorous line that tragically demonstrates just how badly the entire system is stacked against Native Americans.

That's not to say that this movie is heartless, however. Far from it.

Wind River is a movie that is, I think, all about heart, and grief, and dealing with loss. Renner's character Cory also has lost a daughter, and near the very end of the movie he delivers a beautiful speech recalling advice he was given about facing the pain of grief, and the memory of a lost loved one. I don't want to quote it in full here, because it's a scene that really should be seen for yourself, rather than just told about.

Now that I'm talking about the actors, however...

Renner delivers a real standout of a performance, as Cory Lambert. I haven't been the most impressed with him, having only seen him in Arrival and in the Avengers movies, but here he really delivers. Cory is a hunter who shoots coyotes and tracks mountain lions, living in the aforementioned mountainous part of Wyoming. He's a badass who can kill with chilling ease when he sets himself to it... but he is also a caring father, a polite and very professional worker, and a very good and noble friend. You admire him FAR more for his composure, dignity and supportiveness than in his ability to shoot or kill.

Elizabeth Olsen also turns in a strong performance as the rookie FBI agent Jane. Hers is a rather tragic instance of good intentions and poor communication, as she clearly does want to help at the reservation and in the case, but her lack of experience (especially pertaining to cases like Native American culture, as she manages to offend Natalie's father when questioning him) complicates matters. Still, her heart clearly is in the right place, and she is a true survivor at heart.

Other actors in the film also turn in some good performances. I mentioned Graham Greene as the Tribal Force Sheriff; with the limited time he had, I rather liked his character for his calm "seen it all" nature. Bob Birmingham as Natalie's father, also turns in a powerful performance in the scenes he has... especially in the movie when he lets his grief show when Jane is out of the room and it's only him and Cory. Just, ouch...

And finally, in the flashback scene revealing the circumstances of Natalie's death, she and her boyfriend Matt (played by Jon Bernthal, of all people) are also fantastically portrayed. It's a scene that takes you through a roller-coaster of emotions - and when it all goes horribly wrong, you WILL find it hard to watch.

But even with that in mind, I'd still very much say, give Wind River consideration. It's a powerful experience, and one that bears thinking about.