US drama in which a man and his teenage daughter are forced to rejoin society after years of living in the wilderness outside Portland, Oregon.
Foster and McKenzie thoroughly convince in the hands of Granik, who moulds a subtle, assured, and often powerful tale.
It might not have the oomph of Winter’s Bone, but this is a sympathetic, affecting, beautifully realised portrait of lives lived on the margins.
A major contender for the top spot of impending film of the year polls.
The film could easily have seemed baffling and very pretentious if it had indulged in flights of Terrence Malick-like lyricism.
It’s Granik’s absolute confidence in telling such a harsh story with such tenderness and subtlety that makes the film stand out. Lets hope it’s not eight years until her next one.
It’s a pitch-perfect performance around which Granik builds her flawless, deeply affecting film.
The screenplay is a slow-moving and moving affair which opens like a flower and closes like a hug.
Wild thoughts: what do wilderness films tell us about our sheltered lifestyles?
Debra Granik
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday July 13, 2018, until Thursday July 26, 2018. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
RSS feed of Cinema reviews