Wind River — Distance makes everything harder
Wind River connects its investigation to grief, isolation and difficult physical terrain. The central performances are strongest when the film allows them some quiet, despite a few overemphatic passages.
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Spoiler-free review.
Wind River makes distance matter. Reaching a place, getting help and understanding the people who live there do not feel like simple preliminaries to the investigation. Taylor Sheridan gives those difficulties weight. The snow and the open spaces contribute to a sense that ordinary support can be much further away than it should be.
Jeremy Renner gives the film a contained sadness that is more persuasive than its more explanatory passages. His character’s knowledge of the terrain has an emotional cost alongside its practical use. Elizabeth Olsen provides a different kind of attention. Their working relationship benefits from the distinction between professional responsibility and familiarity with a place.
The dialogue works best when it stays close to immediate needs. A question about what to do next can carry uncertainty, frustration and care without announcing all three. The investigation remains involving because the film makes the people around it feel affected by more than the need to supply another piece of information.
Some speeches and dramatic emphases push harder than necessary. I found the quieter exchanges more affecting, particularly when the actors were allowed to leave something unresolved. Even with those reservations, the setting and the performances give the story a strong hold. The difficulty of the work never feels separate from the grief surrounding it.
2017 · English. Film details · Poster source · Artwork © its respective rights holders.
8/10
My verdictWind River connects its investigation to grief, isolation and difficult physical terrain. The central performances are strongest when the film allows them some quiet, despite a few overemphatic passages.
— Desly