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Wind River (2017)

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I enjoyed this a lot when I could actually focus on the film (thank you annoying ass audience!). Renner and Olsen are fucking fantastic here and easily worthy of Oscar nominations. The directing is pretty solid for a debut, though the flashback's integration was a bit weird. I'm sure my score will go up on a quieter rewatch. 8.5/10 | B+ 

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Sheridan has made his career out of a trilogy of Western deconstructions that grow closer and closer to really investigating the genre. Wind River, as the finale of said trilogy, does it the most blatantly yet to mixed results. The Western-deconstruction elements are by far the best aspect of the script, although it comes to the detriment to the actual mystery going on. Really, it has the most interesting script of Sheridan's trilogy, and Renner's performance might be one of his best yet.

 

However, scripts do not make films. Directors do, and Sheridan directing his own work really hampers the quality of Wind River. There's so much excess on display and a real lack of subtlety that Sicario and Hell or High Water have in spades. Renner tries to make it work, and he comes out of it as the best part of the film. Olsen is alright as the female lead, but it's clear that Sheridan's sloppy style does not respect the females in this tale at all. The cinematography is ugly and the score is overbearing. When an entirely unnecessary and horribly directed flashback occurs in the third act, the quality of the film takes a nosedive. The final scene might be good, but that does not excuse the path taken there in the last half hour of the film.

 

Wind River is a disappointment. It's clear that had another, more experienced, director taken the script, there could've been a very great film here. As it is, it's got a strong lead performance and an interesting setting totally wasted on a film which technical quality rarely goes above mediocre. An important aspect of filmmaking is collaboration, and Wind River certainly could've used more of that in order to make the great American film it desperately wants to be. A true cinematic shame. C+

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Brilliant movie. As previously mentioned by other people, the stand off does come out of the fucking blue. I was afraid of the outcome of that shooting up to the point where Renner showed up and man oh man, I consider that bit of him taking out guy after guy one of the most bad ass things I've seen in any movie. If there was something about this movie that I did not enjoy is that it was quite short. No, I don't mean that in a 'I enjoyed it so much I wanted more' (even though it is true), but I feel like the story was too short in itself. The mystery needed to be dragged out a bit more instead of just going straight from point A to point B to point C and voila, the movie is done! Not sure if anyone else feels the same about that.

 

Despite that, I still enjoyed it a lot, but I consider that the shortness of the movie is the main reason why the stand off catches people off guard. They think 'there's no way they're anywhere near the end of this mystery' but they were, and it was short.

 

Anyway...

 

A-

 

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Kinda liked this movie without any expectations. I saw a post from a member in a forum about this movie which some how captured my attention to it.

 

Wind River is Crime/Mystery movie which does well on all aspects except screenplay as its not as engaging as it should be at the same time it doesn't drag a lot as it provides ample of interest and whodunit kind of feeling.

 

One thing which stands out and actually made me feel emotional is how Native American women missing cases are not recorded at all. 

 

8/10

 

 

 

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Great movie.. Full of thriller and mystery. I love to watch suspense movies. And wind river is one of my favorite movie. IF you guys also like suspense and thriller movies "Restitution Road " is also a great movie. You can watch this movie free on Amazon Prime.

 

I want to give Wind River 9/10.

 

Good Job guys!!!!!

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I liked Sheridan's previous 2 movies better but this was also very good. I don't think him being the director is the problem, he does a very good job and the actors all give their best, it just didn't click with me as much. I think my main problem is the native american/racial tension subtext should cut a little deeper than it actually does. I didn't need Renner character to be native american per se, but that particular aspect of the film feels a little bit undercooked.

 

But otherwise the film is a top notch noir thriller with great pacing and some of the best mexican standoff action I've seen in a long time. And I loved that his style have become so distinct so quickly. It's rare for screenwriters that don't direct most of their movies to be so instantly recognizable, even if his dead-serious overtly poetic style is not everyone's cup of tea. But I'm here for it.  

 

B+.

Edited by Joel M
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Aside from the last half hour, which is admittedly pretty tense and brutal and gripping, nothing in the movie stuck out for me, except maybe for the two overwritten dialogue exchange scenes between the father and Renner.  6/10

Edited by Goffe
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Damn, after all the praise maybe I set my expectations too high because this was just serviceable at best. I put off watching it for awhile but continued to hear great things about it so was excited to finally see what the hype was about and it really underwhelmed me. The tension in the final 30 minutes didn't grip me, it just felt like a film I've seen plenty of times before. And Cory pretty much had no flaws outside of leaving his daughter to go on a vacation with his wife.

He was damn near Jason Bourne in Wyoming in this. I dunno, it was well shot? Acting was good? I wanted to see Jane do more. She was obviously in over her head but I didn't feel much chemistry between the characters until their final scene together.

I was never that engrossed in the case and I usually like these slow burners. Hoped for a lot more.

 

B

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Really enjoyed it at the time, can't remember much at all from it now though. Definitely weaker than Hell or High Water, dialogue was quite clunky and I didn't think Elizabeth Olsen was anything special. Good shoot out but the story really didn't have as much meaning as the filmmakers clearly wanted. I agree with the notion mentioned above about the line at the end - the film was decent but I didn't feel it was ever trying to make a point about its subject matter.

 

I am a sucker for anything that's quiet and set in snow though.

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I thought it was pretty decent (Renner and Oslen were incredible as well as Birmingham) just found it weird the film just skims over Chief Ben's death at the end during the shootout and it was not very plausible to me that oil guys decided to kill a federal agent and a bunch of police officers. It was a straight forward film so there wasn't exactly much mystery. Nice views in the background.

 

B+

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