From acclaimed actress Robin Wright comes her directorial debut LAND, the poignant story of one woman’s search for meaning in the vast and harsh American wilderness. Edee (Wright), in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world she once knew and in the face of that uncertainty, retreats to the magnificent, but unforgiving, wilds of the Rockies. After a local hunter (Demián Bichir) brings her back from the brink of death, she must find a way to live again.
Commentary review: They are calling this Wright’s directorial debut, and I guess for the big screen it is. Fans of House of Cards know that she directed several of those episodes, so she is familiar with being behind the camera. Speaking of, it is hard for me to watch Robin Wright in front of the camera and not see Claire Underwood. As I watched LAND I sort of daydreamed that this was Claire leaving the political word behind and unplugging for a while. That is true powerful nature of a strong character.
No more digressing. In LAND Wright plays Edee, a woman looking to escape a tragic event. We aren’t given all the details but it is obvious that Edee has had her world shaken to the core. She wants nothing to do with humanity or the modern world. She decides to escape, alone, to a rugged, remote part of the Rockies. There she will discover her limits and try to rediscover her true self.
There is a popular reality show on the History channel called, ALONE. Individuals have to try and survive the harshest of conditions all on their own. I wanted LAND to have more of that feel. Yes it is important that we get to watch Edee’s emotional journey, but I also wanted to experience the hardships of the physical as well. When Edee first arrives at her new home we do get a bit of that. I can imagine that living that lifestyle looks good on paper. Chop some wood, catch some game, build a fire, grow some veggies… But the reality of any of those things is not easy. I personally could probably chop enough wood for a good 5-minute fire. Then I would need a nap.
It is funny how the most mind blowing portion of her journey to watch is the lack of communication with the outside world. We see Edee abandon her cell phone are instantly panic stricken. How ever will she survive?! But we used to. We used to live productive, creative, and nearly intelligent lives with no cell phones or google. When you left the house you were on your own. Oh the horror.
Other than the initial survival moments the film lacks much in the way of excitement or intensity. Edee is aided at one point by a local hunter (Demián Bichir). The two become friends and share a bound of grief. You can see Edee begins to struggle with the desire for isolation and the human need for interaction. A wise creator once said, “it is not good for man to be alone..”.
As her need for interaction starts to open her up it is an obvious endeavor of the spirit. This inner-war is where the movie stumbles a bit. We do not get the time to fully understand all the emotion of her pain. One scene she is fine chatting and hanging out with her new friend. Then she will blow up and withdraw. But it feels like we are missing a lot of pieces of the puzzle. We just accept her choices and conversations and move on. But it is very superficial and adds to the monotonous moments of mountain gazing,
The cinematography is breathtaking and this is one of those films that makes me miss the big screen even more. Our country is a large, beautiful, creation. It reminded me that I will someday regret spending so much time staring at a screen of any size. My hope is that we do not have to encounter life altering pain and grief to drive us from our phones and out into the wilderness for a bit. To unplug and breathe is an important step to mental and spiritual health, but something I fail too often to take advantage of.
LAND does have a powerful message. We all have pain to deal with. Some far more severe than others. How we respond to that is different for us all. But in the end it is human connection that is the most powerful salve. I am a fan of Robin Wright and it was a pleasure watching her in this one. I think we forget what a deep, confident, actress she is. Part of me wonders if it was hard for her to allow the vulnerability we see on the screen.
Strong acting, beautiful scenery, and the bond of contact make this a film to watch. It does have a lot of slow moments but if you push through it is worth the journey. LAND is rated PG-13 for thematic content, brief strong language, and partial nudity. I give it a B- for bravery. Not sure I would even attempt such an endeavor. In real life or otherwise.
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