REVIEW: Wind River

Directed by Taylor Sheridan
2017 Crime Drama
1 hour 47 mins
From The Weinstein Company

Starring
Jeremy Renner
Elizabeth Olsen
Graham Greene
Jon Bernthal
Gil Birmingham
Kelsey Asbille
Apesanahkwat
Tantoo Cardinal

This is about as bleak as a movie can look.  Wind River stands for the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming and while some of the filming may have been done there, it appears that Utah stood in for the second least-populated state.  I hate to say it but throughout watching it a little voice kept saying who would live there?  I've seen some beautiful films out of Wyoming and this is not one of them.

It concerns a missing person's case that involves a tracker/hunter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a rookie FBI agent. The tracker (Renner) discovers the shoeless, bluish, bruised body of a young Indian woman (Asbille) high in the mountains. Since it is found on the reservation, he turns it over to the Indian authorities (led by Greene). Because murder may be involved, an FBI agent (Olsen) is dispatched.  She not only doesn't come properly outfitted for her investigation but she is clearly not ready for what's about to unfold, although she's tough and determined.  She asks the tracker to help her since she has no experience in the high country.  He informs her the area is about survival or surrender.  That seems to cover it.

Since there are so few characters involved, it doesn't take long to figure how who is responsible, but the excitement comes from finding out why (a rather vivid flashback eventually handles that) and how the culprit or culprits will be apprehended.  On that latter point, I have to say this was one of best finales to a crime drama I have seen in some time.  It took a while to complete the scene and while my jaw was dropping I was white-knuckling my plush seat. Some will certainly assert it ends violently (though not gory) while I simply found it most realistic and terribly satisfying.  That's all you're getting out of me.

There is very little fat to trim on this film. Blissfully, the value of the story is not lessened with an intrusive love story between the leads nor are there any frivolous side stories to distract us.  That fact is one of the reasons this film is so focused on what it wants to say.  It doesn't rely on gimmicks or obvious special effects while plugging into the fear of living in a stark environment that seems to have no rules... a fact that is genuinely creepy.

I much admire the sense of place that is represented here.  It always feels like we are actually there... the mountains, the deep snow, the snow mobiles, the tracking, the cold.  It's probably best to see it dressed in layers.

There is a great sense of pacing and the dialogue between the tracker and the agent is informative and tightly written.  For the tracker, there is something deeply personal for him in the investigation while the agent, tough as she is, is trying to keep her head above water (make that snow).  Wisely, we know little about her.  We just know she's here to do her job and stay out of danger. We know there are those who don't want her there.

I've always regarded Renner as a younger version of Tommy Lee Jones and that's a good thing to me.  I think he smiles once in the entire movie but I am transfixed by his face and generally unpredictable manner. One never doubts one is in good hands with this tracker... the consummate pro.

I am only vaguely familiar with Olsen's work but she is a perfect fit while she blends inexperience and some innocence with toughness and perseverance. I hope her stunt woman was well-paid.

I saw Graham Greene in his first film, Running Brave (1983) and then Dances with Wolves (1990), Thunderheart (1992) with a theme similar to this one, The Green Mile (1999) and Transamerica (2005), among numerous others.  He always lends such a dignified, quiet authority and he's certainly Hollywood royalty in Indian roles.  
The supporting cast is excellent and kudos to the crew at all levels. I think I feel sorry for all of them to have to film such a movie in these harsh conditions.

Taylor Sheridan is my newest writer-director that I'm keeping my eye on.  He has a penchant for crime stories and I am certainly drawn to them.  He wrote Sicario (2015) and received an Oscar nomination for writing Hell and High Water (2016).  Wind River is just his second directing job.  He is also an actor. 

And thanks again to the Weinstein brothers who have a knack for bringing valuable properties to the screen.

Wind River is apparently based on a true incident or perhaps true incidents. Before the end credits roll, we are informed that of all the statistics that are kept nationally on missing persons, none is kept for Indian women.  This film is a tribute to them.



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