Wind River **** (2017, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olson, Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene) – Movie Review

Ironically, though it was a sweaty evening at the cinema with the aircon not working, this 2017 crime drama, mystery movie is ultra-chilly in every way. Shot in snowy landscapes, it is very cold, bleak, intense and scary. It is a haunting film, with a full cargo of haunted characters.

Writer-director Taylor Sheridan tells a familiar story about a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olson) who asks for a Wyoming town’s veteran game tracker hunter (Jeremy Renner) help to investigate a murder he has uncovered on a Native American reservation. But, the trick Sheridan pulls off stylishly is that he gets fresh mileage out of it, making the old story seem new, like the first time you have ever heard it. You listen and watch riveted.

As Cory Lambert, Jeremy Renner is good, much better, much more switched on than usual, in a good role for him. He is easy to believe in and side with, though, even so, a more charismatic star would make for an even better movie. Renner is good, but he lacks the effortless gruff charisma of Jeff Bridges in Taylor Sheridan’s previous movie Hell or High Water (2016).

I am not sure I bought Elizabeth Olson as a gun-slinging FBI agent, even though she comes from Florida! Olson never seems quite tough enough for this role. However, she is a useful city-type duck-out-of-water presence doing her level best to survive and track than the truth in the wild country.

Gil Birmingham, Graham Greene and Apesanahkwat are all excellent as the main Native American characters, Martin, Ben and Dan Crowheart.

I really like the way the spectacular Wyoming scenery of snow-covered, mountainous wastes is used as a star character in the movie. The landscape really is a star. It seems such a totally outdoors movie that it is surprise to find that some of it was shot in Park City Studios, Utah.

Ultimately the real-life-based film is quite depressing – so many people dead and missing. It tries for a slightly upbeat ending, after all the death and gloom, but it is no spirit lifter. It leaves you wiser but sadder.

There is strong violence, a rape, disturbing images, and strong language

Taylor Sheridan is known for his screenplays for Sicario (2015), and Hell or High Water (2016), for which he was Oscar nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and which also featured Gil Birmingham. Wind River is on a par with Hell or High Water but it is not quite a winning or likeable.

The Wind River reservation is a real Native American reservation.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

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