Land - A Movie Review

The journey of grief is never easy. You never know who you will meet.

Land premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021. A grieving woman decides to live in the mountains. Surviving out in the wild is tough. Facing many difficult challenges, Edea meets a new friend who helps her understand a new impact on life.

Participating in the Sundance Film Festival is an exhilarating experience. In contrast to last year when I was physically at the festival, viewing it virtually is no different. Land is a bold, motivational, and stunning film about coping with grief. We all have our journeys to recover. Land examines a woman’s profound and challenging journey in the solitude of the mountains.

Robin Wright has grown so much as an actress since her debut in The Princess Bride. Not only did she do an excellent job as Edea, but she took the chance to lead the film in her first experience as a director. Wright did an incredible job with her emotions, research, and evaluating ideas to authenticate Land.

Friends come into our lives for a reason. Miguel came into Edea’s life at the right time. Demian Bichir brought heart to the film. Wright and Bichir had wonderful interactions. One of my favorite conversations revolved around the topic of Star Wars. You never know what hidden battles anyone is facing.

Human connections are a value. Land is a reminder that we do need each other, especially after the year we’ve had. As Wright mentioned, most of the problems we have faced, we are all dependent on one another.

With minimal casting, brief appearances by Kim Dickens, Warren Christie, Brad Leland, and Finlay Wojtak Hissong help us understand Edea’s history. It does not matter how short your part is. The film spends a good amount of time with each character.

As mentioned by Wright, nature plays a character of its own. I agree. The cinematography is gorgeous capturing shots of sunsets, snowy mountains, and the alps. It captures land. I felt the bitter cold atmosphere.

Land is accompanied by memorable stories throughout its production. The setting for the film is majestic. It is. Prepare to witness noteworthy imagery of sunsets, trees, mountaintops, and even wild animals.

Shot in 28 days in Alberto, Canada, the crew had to work with fast-changing weather. Crew members built that small cabin in the mountains. Sometimes it was summer, and then suddenly changing to winter, until transforming into Autumn-like weather.

Wright did an incredible job with the camera angles. She set the tone creating a bleak melancholic atmosphere until slowly transforming into growth. One of my favorite aspects of her style as a director is how she went with unexpected moments that added to the value of the story. I am looking forward to seeing more films that she’ll direct in the future.

Her direction and choices in music were well-crafted. Wright made sure that everyone was safe, especially when they had a ferocious animal onset. Wright does a fantastic job driving the film with her eyes and little dialogue. She wanted us to feel her solitude.

We all cope with grief in our ways. Sometimes we need to get away from society. Judging someone by their journey is not right. Land showcases realism. For anyone who is struggling, Land is a healing film that makes you feel a sense of closure. For everyone involved, it was a healing process.

Having the chance to see Land in its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival was an incredible experience. Wherever the film ends up, I recommend that you watch this film.