Good to see Kevin Costner acting again. Seems to me he was doing other things for a spell. Seems like he has found a comfort zone doing it while on a ranch and riding a horse. Costner is the central figure in the series Yellowstone and here again he is the owner of a large Montana ranch and is fighting for his family.
With the horrible pandemic we have been going through it seems like humans are craving being in open spaces and connecting with nature. City dwellers, no longer having to travel to work, are selling their condos or flats and moving to the suburbs or countryside. So a film like this one with plenty of plains and woods should bring warmth to many a heart. Though the story won’t always.
It is one of being willing to do just about anything for your family. The love of family is strong here. An older couple has to endure the tragedy of the death of their child. Now they see their young grandson slipping away from them too.
Retired sheriff George Blackledge (played by Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (played by Diane Lane) not only have to deal with the death of their son but fear they are losing their only grandchild as well. Not willing to leave it to chance the two set out to “rescue” him from a strange family who are living off the grid.
While there is plenty to like about this film – like the cast which includes familiar faces like Costner, Lane, Lesley Manville, Will Brittain, and Jeffrey Donovan – what will dampen your love/like for it is its pace. It is needlessly slow. And too long. About 20 minutes too long. Plenty of fat that should have been trimmed by director Thomas Bezucha, who directed The Family Stone. Bezucha adapted the novel by Larry Watson and though he is an experienced screenwriter it seems like he did not know where to cut the unessential stuff out.
What is great is the way it looks with great sets, costumes and scenery. Sumptuous shots of nature. Cinematographer Guy Godfree should be applauded for making the way the film looks like a beloved character.
While watching it you will find yourself pondering the moral quandary within. Who is right? Who is wrong? What right do we have to judge how others choose to live? At times while watching you might feel uncomfortable as a result of all these questions.
Special Features
-Digital copy of Let Him Go (Subject to expiration. Go to NBCUCodes.com for details.)
-The Making of Let Him Go
-The Blackledges: Kevin Costner & Diane Lane
-Lighting the Way: Thomas Bezucha
