‘Land’ Blu-Ray Review: A Strong Debut from Robin Wright

Land Blu-ray Review

Many of you know Robin Wright for one reason or another. Maybe you remember her from The Princess Bride, or perhaps you remember her from Forrest Gump. Either way, she has played a role in some of the most iconic films of our time. In all that time, she has never directed a movie. That is until now with her directorial debut of Land. It’s an emotional piece about surviving grief.

Land is a story of Edee (played by Wright). Her husband and son have died (for reasons the film doesn’t reveal until much later). Her response is to cut herself off from the entire world and move to the wilderness to live alone in her grief. Living in a cabin in the Rocky Mountains, it becomes clear that she is not prepared for the lifestyle. She wants nothing to do with the outside world, and she doesn’t want to feel better. She seems to want to wallow in her grief. Because of her actions, she finds herself in a perilous situation. She doesn’t know how to survive off the grid. She can’t hunt, fish, or grow crops. She has no skills to speak of and doesn’t seem to care if she does survive. Until she meets Miguel, who teaches her skills she needs and slowly chips away her defenses as a real friend.

I think what makes this film work is the strong performances, especially Wright’s. The grief feels real and strong. Unlike other, more comedic films where we laugh as the new homesteader as they make mistakes, there is little levity. It’s very emotional and feels rough.

Also in favor of the film is the cinematography. It is shot gorgeously, and the Rocky Mountain scenery is magnificent. This comes through beautifully in the Blu-ray release. The level of detail and the color grading are superb. Some scenes are so sharp it looks more like a view out a window and not a television screen. For a relatively small budget, it is extremely well made. The sound is good, too – kind of minimalist. The music is excellent, and the dialog comes through crisp and clear as well

Land Blu-Ray Extras:

  • Digital copy
  • “Crafting Land”- A featurette on the location shooting, the cabin, the month-long shoot.
  • “Robin Wright: Feature Film Directorial Debut”
  • “After The Trauma”- An extra about Edee’s character arc.

Overall, Land is a strong debut from Robin Wright and worth a watch for the cinematography if nothing else.

Land is available from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on Tuesday, May 11th

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