Wind River [Blu-ray]

I am a fan of Nordic Noir novels and TV series. I find the cold and isolating landscape to be a defining characteristic of the genre that I enjoy most. This movie is a very good American version of such works. The mystery is compelling, the characters are fully developed and relatable, and I love every minute of this movie. I have seen it over five times, and I enjoy it all over again. I would love for them to make a sequel, so I could spend even more time at Wind River.

This is definitely one of the best movies of 2017. The story centers around the mystery of a dead native American girl/woman (18 years old). It is not an action thriller. It is a "deliberately paced" (read slow) mystery, but I was never bored. If you liked "The Killing" or "Broadchurch" you will probably like this too. The pace allowed proper character development. With the exception of the "bad guy" revealed at the end, all the characters are nuanced and interesting. Ultimately, I cared about what happened to each of them. The ending is satisfying, but not happy.Renner gives a wonderfully understated and brilliant performance as the protagonist. His characters is broken but pushes past his own pain to help the people he cares about. He is a gun carrying hunter, but lacks any male bravado you would expect from Hollywood. He cries, he hugs, he is gentle with others but never once comes across as a wimp. He is rugged and sincere, a High Noon Marshall Kane type.Olsen also turns in a great performance, but her characters is mostly expositional. She plays an in-over-her-head FBI agent, who is also free of typical Hollywood tropes. She is assertive and confident, but also smart enough to ask for help when she needs it and to apologizes when she is wrong. She is no wilting flower, but also not the caustic shrew we would typically get for a woman FBI agent. We learn about the reservation and protagonist through her eyes. We see the brokenness and nobility without any sanctimony, guilt or lectures.Graham Greene play the same character in which he is usually cast. But, he continues to play the Reservation chief of polices exceptionally well. He is disappointed when he meets Olsen's character, the young lone agent sent to investigate, but fails to treat her with contempt. He expresses his sadness and frustration, at the lack of help, with the gusto of a man who accepted his lot in life long ago. But because our young agent clearly cares about the victim and justice, he attempts to gently mentor her while still respecting her authority.

This is an unexpected and great movie.

Intriguing location and plot.

Great movie.

Renner and Olsen worked well together as lead characters (Corey and Jane). Olsen's character a strong woman who was not afraid to admit she needed help in this new element she found herself in. Corey was quiet, kind and fair, and simply helped her without taking over the spotlight like some HE Man. Supporting cast Greene, Burmingham, Apesanahkwat and others added a refreshing addition to this movie regarding murder on a Native American reservation. Memorable and well written, deep conversation regarding mourning and loss that took place between Corey (Renner) and Martin (Burmingham) was actually sadly poetic. Amidst the horrible assault that the movie centers around, there was some release in the the light hearted banter that takes place between some, like Ben (Greene) and Dan (Apesanahkwat) scenes in the beginning.I especially liked that this movie made a point of bringing a deserving social issue to light, by Sheridan (Director), regarding the disappearance of indigenous women who are raped and murdered and the fact that there is no clear documentation of how many have succumbed to this sad fate. This is infortunately, is a neglected, social issue that is not receiving its fair share of awareness in todays environement of so many other complaints

Great movie

By now I look forward to any Jeremy Renner movie having stolen the fire of Matt Damon of the Bourne sequels enough to bring him out of retirement. Imagine some detectives running parallel operations to uncover the baddies. In the opening sequence of this best yarn categories, Renner's character has a choice: kill circling, helpless lambs or exterminate predatory wolves. The wolves lose, this time. "Wind River' is not the hi-tech firm, rather the Indian reservation close by. The soundtrack is eery and mysterious with Indian chants to conjure the right spirits for this bone-chilling homicide that takes place frequently in Cherokee land. Renner's character is keeping his cool and his secret from the start when he is diverted from hunting some ranging mountain lions. When he stumbles upon an Indian corpse, he hunkers down in seriousness. It occurs on multi-jurisdiction land, hard to sort out. The FBI send a rookie investigator, (Elizabeth Olsen) who follow's Renner's instincts, knowing a tracker's more valuable than a cop. They make a strong team over time, enough time for the demons Renner carries inside him to reveal themselves. Through a series of effective flash-backs, the truth comes out. Like Renner says in the end, "There are just 2 kinds of people here; victims and survivors." Not only does this film match the excitement of the "Taken" series, it resolves some loose ends and smooths the differences between the locals in a humane and consoling finish in the end. The Indian characters are wonderfully played throughout in this stark, cold tough terrain. In this film, Indian way is the best way to deal with cruel inhumanity. The film epilogue is wonderful between the two friends with the same shared grief comforting one another mano-a-mano. A must-see film.