Wind River

If you like movies and watch a large number of them every month, including the new ones, then you will appreciate a movie that is written so perfectly from start to finish that it's a pleasure to watch. That's probably why I would simply describe why I gave the film five stars. I had a feeling that from the beginning till the end I was watching a crime film with everything it entails. There were no complicated explanations, but an amazingly chilly atmosphere and wonderful locations. Everything fits together perfectly, and you enjoy not only the suffering of Elizabeth Olsen, but also Jeremy Renner, who became the lone fighter for justice the moment he put on the white overalls and ventured alone into the wild. I was excited. I didn’t miss a single minute of this movie. And the best part is that you can really feel that Taylor Sheridan is behind all of that. You can sense the chilling atmosphere of Sicario, but also the dangerous shoot offs of the film Hell or High Water. And yet you know that this film is in its way completely unique. Hopefully, Sheridan will maintain that diligence. When it comes to filmmaking craft, Wind River is one of the best films I saw in 2017. (10/12/2017)

A chilling, gradually escalating thriller set in the harsh American countryside, with minimalist production design, actors who don't talk much and, above all, an existential subtext dealing with life's greatest and most intimate losses. All wrapped up in an atmospheric and engaging crime package, where an FBI agent and her colleagues gradually and very straightforwardly uncover the evidence and traces of a murder mystery, leading to an infernal finale that you see about once every 50 or so films. A great example of perfectly mined screenwriting. (09/30/2017)

As a director, Taylor Sheridan is looking to find his own style and optimal storytelling rhythm, but as a screenwriter he excels once more. As in Sicario and Hell or High Water, he creates another rough space that seems to exist outside of our reality. And just like in Sicario, he brings a somewhat naive woman into it who needs a guide and initiators to survive here. This means that an orthodox supporter of feminism will not find what they are looking for in Wind River. Wyoming in this film is above all a place for mourning, despair and vanishing traditions, a snow canvas of misery and surrender, a land of hunters and trackers, in which women disappear without a trace. Sheridan incorporates a personal story of reconciliation into the detective-thriller, about the acceptance of a world in which "happiness lives in cities" and people outside of them have at most enough time to mourn and fall into despair. Jeremy Renner is admirable, economical as a hunting beast, and vulnerable when he loses the scent. This is the best performance of his career, I have no doubt about that. Sheridan is slowly preparing the background for the last act, which does not culminate in a shootout or harsh retrospective, but a final dialogue in which everything essential is hidden. It’s about people who live on the land that has been stolen from them losing their bond with their ancestors. They have no vision of a better future, only the sorrow that needs to be accepted. Wind River is a melancholic film-portrait of a place, a more action-based genre version of Manchester by the Sea. Sheridan writes words, landscapes and characters that touch me deeply. It’s an eternal pity that the Czech viewer will not get to see Wind River in the distribution... (07/07/2017)

An Indian girl was found murdered in the middle of Wyoming. An FBI agent arrives on the scene to find the killer with the help of a local tracker. Little does she know that this inhospitable land may be a bit too much for her to handle. Taylor Sheridan's directorial debut follows in the footsteps of his earlier films, and this time we get an atmospheric, gritty and manly piece where there's plenty of time for everything, but the slowly building atmosphere is ultimately so intense that you'll be biting your nails with suspense. And root for Jeremy Renner to win an Oscar. (08/16/2017)

A crisp, snowy crime movie with a chilling veneer. In the middle of the wilderness, hunter Cory Lambert finds the body of a raped Indian girl whose lungs burst in the frost. Who is responsible? The story is simple, but its strength lies in details. Elaborate, lifelike characters (typical Renner) and an atmosphere of ruin hides behind every footstep in the snow. The slow tempo suits the story perfectly. Recriminations, heart-searching, strong emotions. Action is fairly scarce, but the finale shootout is worth it. Very happy. P.S: A perfect explanation for why to be wary of seemingly friendly drunks. (10/21/2017)