For being a debut film, it's got one hell of a strong voice. It's confident, seasoned work despite Sheridan's journeyman status behind the camera. Renner's performance is very reminiscent of the very best of Gary Cooper; if ever they decided to remake High Noon, there's no better choice for Marshal Will Kane. Olsen is a very fine complement to him, and while there are definite shades of Blunt's Kate Macer in her character, she nevertheless has her own strength and energy that stands alone. Gil Birmingham also needs to be in every Sheridan-related film from here on out. The guy has an amazing presence and can do so much with so little. It was also cool to see Graham Greene back, although I wish he'd had a bit more to do. And Nick Cave and Warren Ellis once again prove their godhood in the film score department. The general mystery at the heart of the story isn't complex by any stretch (I had it more or less pegged in a general sense from the first twenty minutes), but the mystery isn't the crux of the film. It's a meditation on grief, loss, and moving on . . . not from it, but rather with it. Sheridan's strength is in taking basic plots and weaving them into grander tapestries of examining the human condition in relation to such simple ideas. I will say that there are fewer naff lines in Wind River than in Sheridan's previous two films, which (as strong as they are) still had a couple of clangers that needed some reworking. In terms of comparing it to the other films in Sheridan's trilogy, I'd say in terms of direction: Villeneuve > Sheridan > Mackenzie. In terms of script: Wind River > Hell or High Water > Sicario. In terms of leads: Bridges > Renner > Blunt > Olsen > Pine. With all the praise I vaunted at it, though, I did feel that Sheridan missed a trick at actually having a Native actor in the leading role. I was thinking Zahn McClarnon from Fargo would've been amazing.
Really want to see this one alot. Its on my film watchlist of 2017, but my local theater isn't showing it. I don't get why some theaters show certain films, and others do not. Really looking forward to eventualy seeing it, your review has me even more willing, excited to see it.
I thought Wind River was excellent. Extremely powerful. The writing, the cinematography, the score, the acting. All of it. Renner was amazing. He's been so busy playing superhero lately that people tend to forget he was nominated for The Hurt Locker and The Town. His work here is even better and deserves another nomination.
For being a debut film, it's got one hell of a strong voice. It's confident, seasoned work despite Sheridan's journeyman status behind the camera. Renner's performance is very reminiscent of the very best of Gary Cooper; if ever they decided to remake High Noon, there's no better choice for Marshal Will Kane. Olsen is a very fine complement to him, and while there are definite shades of Blunt's Kate Macer in her character, she nevertheless has her own strength and energy that stands alone. Gil Birmingham also needs to be in every Sheridan-related film from here on out. The guy has an amazing presence and can do so much with so little. It was also cool to see Graham Greene back, although I wish he'd had a bit more to do. And Nick Cave and Warren Ellis once again prove their godhood in the film score department.
The general mystery at the heart of the story isn't complex by any stretch (I had it more or less pegged in a general sense from the first twenty minutes), but the mystery isn't the crux of the film. It's a meditation on grief, loss, and moving on . . . not from it, but rather with it. Sheridan's strength is in taking basic plots and weaving them into grander tapestries of examining the human condition in relation to such simple ideas. I will say that there are fewer naff lines in Wind River than in Sheridan's previous two films, which (as strong as they are) still had a couple of clangers that needed some reworking.
In terms of comparing it to the other films in Sheridan's trilogy, I'd say in terms of direction: Villeneuve > Sheridan > Mackenzie. In terms of script: Wind River > Hell or High Water > Sicario. In terms of leads: Bridges > Renner > Blunt > Olsen > Pine.
With all the praise I vaunted at it, though, I did feel that Sheridan missed a trick at actually having a Native actor in the leading role. I was thinking Zahn McClarnon from Fargo would've been amazing.
Really want to see this one alot. Its on my film watchlist of 2017, but my local theater isn't showing it. I don't get why some theaters show certain films, and others do not. Really looking forward to eventualy seeing it, your review has me even more willing, excited to see it.
I thought Wind River was excellent. Extremely powerful. The writing, the cinematography, the score, the acting. All of it. Renner was amazing. He's been so busy playing superhero lately that people tend to forget he was nominated for The Hurt Locker and The Town. His work here is even better and deserves another nomination.