Drama

Land

Big Beach

Flashlight Films

Cinetic Media

Nomadic Pictures

United States of America

Canada

English

Robin Wright

Demián Bichir

Sarah Dawn Pledge

Kim Dickens

Warren Christie

Finlay Wojtak-Hissong

Brad Leland

Jordan Bullchild

David Trimble

Rikki-Lynn Ward

Mia McDonald

Barb Mitchell

Dennis Corrie

Valerie Planche

Laura Yenga

Randolph West

Marc Turtletaub

Kim H. Winther

Mark Stope

Joshua M. Cohen

Ben Sollee

Kemal Harris

Eddie Rubin

Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Time for Three

Bobby Bukowski

Rob Hepburn

Allan Zaleski

Steven McMichael

Leslie McMichael

Michael Frislev

Sandi Cameron

Rob White

Jamie Sarginson

Jen Whitehead

Cameron Chapman

Neville Hgyou

Yvonne Melville

Jennifer Jacobsen

Peter Bews

Kirk Chiswell

Ellen MacDonald

Lindsay Woolsey

Louw Verwoerd

Jackie Lind

Dylan Zack

Chris Cinnamon

Brian Macneil

Johnny Jones

Darcie Parkhurst

Susan Jacobs

Dan Power

Danica Peel

Terry Arnholtz

Nick Green

Justan Ross

Enjolie Paradis

Madison Farwell

Amanda Rye

Elizabeth Paradis

John Spooner

Prescott Beresh

Tom Kolafa

Kyle Baldwin

Michael Playfair

Danielle French

Cindy Swensen

Andrew Clements

Michelle Carr

Brian Dunne

Yvonne Cox

Jason Paradis

Cherise Keown

Andy Elder

Liam Erickson

Cameron Howell

Gail Kennedy

Alyson Lockwood

Amanda Tozser

Kyle Mrazek

Rick D. Schmidt

Clint Silzer

Carolyn Devins

Linda Nelson

Kyle E. Robb

Tannis Moore

Ashley Mrace

David Trainor

Emma Andrus

Mohammed Qazzaz

Alexander McGregor

Matthew Carswell

Tracy Noga

Alf Kennedy

Daniel Marsh

Jürgen Lutze

Stacey Gooch

Mike McManus

Jo-Dee Thomson

Tara Bell-Irving

Jiho Kim

Kaiden Tajiri

Jana Jacques Lind

Kim Schweitzer

Paul Hsu

Kyle Casey

Kristy Smith

Shari Johanson

Bill Orrico

Alan Munro

Adam Dicterow

Alex H. Liu

Manuel São Bento

If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @
https://www.msbreviews.com

Who doesn’t appreciate Robin Wright’s career as an actress? Every time I see her name attached to a film, I can’t help but feel excited about it. So, obviously, any movie with her would be one of my most anticipated films of Sundance. However, the main reason why I was highly expecting Land wasn’t due to her acting credit, but because this is her feature directorial debut. Her performance didn’t disappoint me, though, much on the contrary. Wright continues to prove her talent time and time again, delivering an incredibly captivating interpretation of a character who demonstrates that perseverance and the will to live can work as a healing method in the worst of times. An extraordinary character-study written by Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam.

However, it’s her role as the director that surprises me the most. Her vision is clearly depicted through sumptuous cinematography (Bobby Bukowski) and an original score (Ben Sollee, Time For Three) that becomes part of the narrative. In fact, I dare write that without its music, Land would lack that special element to elevate everything as a whole. Well, to be fair, the Rockies hold landscapes so jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring that I would sincerely enjoy just staring at this movie for its sceneries.

It’s one of the best-looking films I’ve seen in the last few years, and that’s a key component because story-wise, there isn’t much action or impactful events going - except for the last couple of revelatory minutes - which might become tiresome for some viewers. It’s a bit odd how usually, I don’t see great replay value in this type of movies, but I genuinely want to revisit this one for its visuals and score. I can’t end this review without praising Demián Bichir, who offers a performance as remarkable as Wright’s. Absolutely phenomenal.

Land is an outstanding feature directorial debut from Robin Wright, who also delivers one of my favorite performances of hers. An incredibly inspirational film that relies on its unforgettable visuals and an extremely engaging score to present me with one of my favorite movies of this year’s Sundance. Without the shadow of a doubt, it’s one of the most gorgeously shot films I’ve seen in quite a long time. Every single scene is filled with an awe-inspiring landscape in the background that took me to the beautiful snowy mountains in such an emotional manner. Thank you, Bobby Bukowski, for your jaw-dropping cinematography, but it’s Ben Sollee and Time For Three’s score that elevate the overall picture in a way that without their music, the storytelling would suffer tremendously. Demián Bichir also deserves as much praise as Wright when it comes to their acting displays. Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam’s screenplay isn’t groundbreaking, but Land breaks my personal tendency of feeling that this type of movie lacks replay value. I’ll rewatch this sooner or later, and I recommend everyone to do the same.

Rating: A-

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

The unforgiving conditions that accompany the jaw-dropping beauty of nature set the stage for “Land,” the directorial debut from actor Robin Wright. Wright stars in the film as Edee, a woman who can no longer live in the world she’s always known after a tragedy shakes up her entire reason for being.

Suicidal and heartbroken, Edee withdraws from the life she once knew, abandoning it all and heading to a secluded cabin in the mountains. With no survival training, she soon finds herself with little food and no means of communication. When the end seems near, a good samaritan hunter (Demián Bichir) comes to her rescue and is able to save her in the nick of time.

The film reads like a meditation on grief and the nature of isolation, with an unhurried pace that lingers over gorgeous scenery of mountains and streams. Much of the first half of the film consists of a lot of staring off into space with handsome, snow-covered backdrops. You feel as if you’re right there with Edee, especially when her sadness takes over. There isn’t much story here, and Wright reveals just enough to preserve the mystery. The film’s pacing may still feel too slow for some, but there’s a purpose.

The survival story develops into one of friendship, as the man helps Edee find the human connection that she’s been missing. He teaches her how to hunt and live off the land, which saves her life in more than one way. The pair find strength in each other, and Edee begins to live again.

The burden is overwhelmingly on Wright to turn in a powerful performance since she carries the majority of the film, and she succeeds. She portrays Edee with a quiet determination and rugged grace that is both inspiring and heartbreaking, and she has a terrific chemistry with Bichir.

“Land” is a poignant story of both isolation and companionship, taking audiences along on one woman’s journey to discover how to live again.

Best Movies

Land

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Robin Wright

Demián Bichir

Sarah Dawn Pledge

Kim Dickens

Warren Christie

Finlay Wojtak-Hissong

Brad Leland

Jordan Bullchild

David Trimble

Rikki-Lynn Ward

Box office

More Like This

No Exit

Trespass Into Terror

The Rules of the Game

Winter Sleepers

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Enemy at the Gates

Cool Runnings

Wally of the Vultures