There are moments in our lives, no matter how easy or difficult they appear to be, that will challenge us. Moments that will have us wondering which path our lives are heading down, moments that where there are more questions than answers. It's a trying time, to be sure, and given the circumstances of her career, it makes for a fitting subject for Robin Wright's directorial debut. After House of Cards, a show that she established herself as a powerhouse in, came to a screeching halt, Wright's filmography has been quiet. It's about time that changed, and we should all be grateful that it has.
Land finds Wright splitting time between the movie's director and its lead, where she plays Edee, a woman in the process of abandoning her life as she knew it to move into a cabin in the mountains of Wyoming. Edee is awkward, cold, and unflinching to anyone she interacts with throughout the first half of the movie, as Wright expertly portrays a woman whose inner anguish is kept to a simmer below the surface. Edee's first few months in her new home are filled with learning experiences, as she begins to settle into this life she's chosen.
Of course, tragedy strikes, and leaves Edee clinging to life. In her most desperate hour, a hunter named Miguel, played wonderfully by Demian Bichir, comes to her rescue and saves her from the brink. Miguel ends up sticking around to assist Edee in getting back on her feet, and shows her how to begin thriving in the unforgiving forest environment. The two develop a bond, despite Edee's repeated insistence that she wishes to be left alone. In time, each character ends up getting something that they'd lost through one another, expertly shown by Wright and Bichir's give-and-take in their scenes together.
Nevertheless, the movie is well-centered around Edee. The character's stubbornness in making this land her home is slowly peeled back, as she allows herself to grow closer to Miguel, but her trauma is evident. There are times where this will feel like a ghost story, based on how Wright's directing weaves in images of the family Edee has lost. Though it could be assumed that Edee is on a journey of self-discovery, it's quite different than that. Edee seems to be content with the directionlessness of her life as the viewer sees it, deciding there was nothing left for her to contribute outside of her quiet, quaint home. There are moments that feel quite peculiar, but once the her motivations are inevitably revealed, the puzzle of Edee's actions are snapped into place.
It should be noted that this is not Wright's first work as a director; she contributed in that role in a few episodes of the smash Netflix series House of Cards, an experience that Land clearly benefits from. Wright worked with so many great Hollywood minds on that show, it would be more of a surprise if she didn't pick up a few tricks to throw in with her own during the show's six-season. Setting the movie in Wyoming, perhaps the best possible picturesque background, doesn't hurt either. Wright paces the movie very well, showing a shot that reflects the time of the season from what appears to be the front door of Edee's cabin to clue the audience in on the passage of time. With perhaps an eye on making sure nothing else is repetitive, there are so many great, unique angles that scenes are shot from, as Edee, in her own words, "notices" more around her. The more Edee grows back into being comfortable around people, the more of the lush forest setting we get to see.
Land was a very powerful experience for me. It shows a great character arc through Wright's portrayal of Edee, while Bichir is able to add another mysterious element to the story with his portrayal of Miguel. Featuring excellent cinematography that highlights a life-affirming struggle, Robin Wright's feature directorial debut is well worth your time.
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