Day 9 – Wind River

Movie Title: Wind River

First Watch / Repeat Viewing

Running Time: 1 hr. and 47 min.

Rated: R

Who did I watch with?: Flying Solo

Where did I watch it?: Home

Review:

Wind River opens with a girl running across a frigid countryside then quick cutting to a flock of sheep following the opening title screen. Cory Lambert, played perfectly by Jeremy Renner, is introduced as a local agent for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. While out looking to cull local predators on the Wind River Indian Reservation, Lambert finds the body of the girl from the title sequence.

The girl appears to be a murder victim and the FBI is called in. FBI agent Jane Banner, played well by Elizabeth Olsen is not used to the terrain of north-central Wyoming and asks for Lambert’s help in solving the murder. After inspecting the body she begins to interview suspects and sees the depressing conditions that are present on the reservation. You can practically feel the cold and depressing nature of it coming through the screen. It is suspected that a family nearby may be involved in the girl’s disappearance and the pace of the investigation picks up swiftly.

The crime drama portion of the movie is excellent, but the movie is dominated by Renner’s performance. Lambert has a past that has consumed his life and he sees helping in this case to be the way to seek redemption for not just himself, but for the girl’s family who are devastated by multiple family tragedies simultaneously. The action is intense and has parts that would fit in well with any revenge movie. But, ultimately this is not just a journey into one man’s pain. It is about the pain of a region and a people and it captures that perfectly.

Verdict:

My review may be short today, but I don’t want to spoil anything about the movie with too much detail. The scenery is stark, yet beautiful, the story compelling, and the performances excellent. See it.

Tomorrow’s Movie: Jackie Brown (1997)

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Today’s Run:

Time: ???

Distance: 1.5 miles

Weigh In: -7.4 lbs.

Today, I walked 1.5 miles and then ran 1.5 miles in alternating laps. My phone died partway through, so I unfortunately don’t have a time. I can you tell you that it wasn’t fast. That’s a certainty. I did my first weigh in since completely changing my diet. I had started to eat better before the new year, but really committed more since then. I will be weighing in every week or two. But, I think 7 lbs. is a good start. Tomorrow, I will either walk 30 minutes or rest. Not sure yet.