The Driftless Area

This movie is a bit hard to explain, as it often jump back and forwards in time and tbh even after finishing it I think many (including myself) will struggle a bit to figure out what the movie was actually about.

But sometimes the destination is not what's important but the journey there is as they say, and the movie for the more-part entertains with mostly quirky abstract dialogue that could only exist in a movie (or a novel of which this movie is based on), often with a very dry sense of humor.

The first half is pretty stellar, the second half halters a bit gets a bit uneven and there are a lot of loose ties that remain untied even after the credits start rolling.

But it was still worth watching and it's nice to see Zoeey Deschanel in something new and the rest of the cast does fine as well.

Life after death? Or rather drifting around after it? Does the movie deliver answers to some questions it has or rather the viewer will have? Probably not might be the right answer. The performances are great all around. Especially with the weird dialog that takes place throughout the movie.

So if you are into weird, not easily explained (if at all) things happening and watching them unfold, dialog that either is on the nose or very subtle and not telling at all, you may have found the right movie for you. Towards the end there may a bit more action than some would like, but the true ending is "making up" for that ... if you don't like that though, than it will break the movie for you. You should see it coming though, not just because what I used as summary line ...

This is one of those films that should be watched two or three times to catch everything that is happening in this story. I will not attempt to relate the plot line here. My advice is to listen to the philosophical statements many of the characters speak during the movie. That is key in understanding whats happening just above the obvious.

Anton Yelchin as 'Pierre' finds himself, on his return to his hometown, caught between the real world and the metaphysical world and a murder. Human desire and action - is it impulsive or predetermined? What controls our life - lust for material gain and if so what effect does that have on the next life? Maybe I'm reading way too much into this film but I found it entertaining and thoughtful. The murder for profit eventually comes to the surface and Pierre's fate hangs by a thread. There is mystery and action enough to keep the casual viewer entertained.

Why this title? It is the location, the Driftless Area is a region in the upper American Midwest that escaped the flattening effects of glaciation during the last ice age and is consequently characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and geology characterized by spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams. But it was filmed in Canada.

The story is not as easy to explain, it involves a young man, a bartender, attempting to grasp the meaning of space and time and possible parallel universes. Then there is the young lady who accidentally gets burned up in an arson fire. But she walks away nude past the oncoming firefighters. Then there's the robbery, the truck crash, the search to find and recover the loot.

It really has an all-star cast, the story bits are woven together very well in an interesting and often funny manner. I find the movie to be a bit better than its IMDb rating suggests. Young Yelchin met an untimely accidental death not too long after this movie.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.

From Canada - the land of great short subjects 'n documentaries but a few too many dismal features - what's in their psyche that produces some of these misguided movies - could it be the cold that numbs their senses?. The opening of this movie looked most intriguing. Photographically it's all class, it has good performances, the music maybe a bit loose but it fitted the story. Looking at the "story" - it seems too many writers and directors want to copy the Cohen Bros - problem is, now that the Cohen Bros have gone commercial and begun copying themselves, it's become tiresome and overdue for a face lift. Are there so few left out there who remember how to tell a strait-quality-story?. It doesn't need to be outlandish just interesting!.

Apart from D.O.P. Daniel Voldheim's quality cinematography (AKF: Into The White '12) the best thing about this film is the fine performance from interesting Russian born Anton Yelchin (Hearts In Atlantis" '01). What a great shame we lost this interesting young man in such a tragic accident - way before his time. Will look forward to seeing his final complete performance in "We Don't Belong Here" '16/17, hoping it may offer a better departure note for Anton. Farewell Chekov.

This story seemed to be heading down an OK path till it wanders off the trail, then ends up stumbling over itself. It's yet another stylish looking movie in search of better overall treatment and script. The cultists will excuse its sometimes pretentious pseudo "psychology" along with the usual bunch of foul-mouthed-bad-ass low lifers but, anyone looking for depth could find themselves being led into a dismal driftless bog.