Wind River (2017)
Excellent modern day western set on the Wind River Indian reservation in Wyoming. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen play a wildlife tracker and FBI agent attempting to solve the murder of a young Indian woman six miles out in the frozen wastes from where she was last seen.
Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan this has similarities to the equally good Hell or High Water (2016) which he also wrote, in that it's portrayal of the American frontier (Snowy Wyoming in this and stifling Texas in Hell or High Water) bring the classic American western bang up to date, the only difference being trucks and snow mobiles taking the place of horses. A world that feels cut off from the cityscapes of modern day New York, L.A. and so on. This is hostile territory that completely suffocates the characters. Jeremy Renner is excellent as the hard bitten tracker using the murder to come to terms with loss he himself had endured and Elizabeth Olsen is also more than decent as the rookie Fed. It was also good to see Graham Greene pop up in a meaty role as sheriff of the reservation.
Wind River has a beautiful slow burn feel to it, the story gradually unfolds rather than hitting you over the head, giving the characters time to breathe. It's also a very gritty and grim piece, with occasional bursts of strong violence, immersing the viewer in a haze of atmospheric bleakness. A bleakness helped no end by some stunning cinematography and a deliciously moody score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
Highly recommended.
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