Joe King

This movie taps deep into your soul as this woman learns how to breathe again after a traumatic loss. The grief is in her eyes and the way she carries herself. The bond she forms with a “neighbor” is loaded with grace. There is a point where this man is nursing her back to life and she asks him why is he helping her. “Because you were in my [life’s] path.” It’s raw. The grief is raw. The land is raw. My one head-scratcher is the bear. He menaces her and appears to be an important part of her existence but poof he never comes back. It makes the scene the bear is in feel gratuitous - sort of like working in a scene with a woman showing skin - what’s the point besides gratuitous scintillation? It would have been hokey if she had shot the bear or somehow outsmarted the bear - too cliche. But it could have been a constant presence when she goes out to hunt or fish. As a hunter it is always an intense hour to be dressing your buck (which is a bloody mess!) deep in bear country. As an interesting note I didn’t immediately recognize Robin. She looks very different in this movie from the first scene. I plan to watch the movie at least one more time. It’s so … human.