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| Haley Lu Richardson and Owen Teague in "Montana Story" Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com |
One of the great juxtapositions to be used in film is the telling of small, intimate stories against expansive backdrops. Two prominent examples are Chloé Zhao, who gave us such films as “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” “The Rider,” and “Nomadland,” and Kelly Reichardt with films like “Certain Women” and “First Cow.” In films like these, you’re immersed in both the beauty of the larger-than-life landscapes that are displayed and the everyday, yet emotional experiences of the characters who populate them.
Long-time directorial collaborators Scott McGehee and David Siegel travel to such regions for the first time for their latest movie, “Montana Story,” a minimalist narrative that unfolds with poignancy, grace, and depth.
Cal (Owen Teague) travels back to his family’s Montana ranch to care for his dying father and prepare to sell the property. When his sister, Erin (Haley Lu Richardson), arrives soon after, they’ll have to confront the scars from their past.
Teague provides a stunning performance as someone who’s attempting to deal with personal issues, while also trying to handle the odds and ends of his family’s estate. Teague presents a character who knows he has several burdens to carry and is doing his best to show that he can handle them. It’s a performance where Teague is able to display the steadfast nature of his character as Cal does what he can to overcome one obstacle after another. As the film goes on, Teague is given the chance to exhibit is character’s more tortured side as he has to come to terms with what caused the broken bond with his sister, showing the deep-rooted pain that’s finally able to release itself.
Richardson isn’t anything less than moving as a young woman who’s still in anguish from what she has gone through in years prior. She’s able to portray Erin as someone who shows a strength of character, but is clearly holding back a lot of agony and seems on edge because of that. Despite that distress Richardson’s character feels, she shows Erin as someone who’s intent on getting done what she has to get done while visiting the ranch. And, just like Teague, Richardson has a chance to bring her character’s emotional journey to a head in the film’s last half hour, having a scene where she’s given a task that conflicts with the strong feelings she has about her past. It’s one of the best scenes in the film, bringing an abundance of emotion and tension.
The screenplay by McGehee and Siegel may seem simple at first, but don’t let that throw you off. There’s a steady build to heartrending scenes as characters examine their pasts and attempt to reconnect over their lost time. With a movie that’s nearly two hours and has a limited cast, this is a narrative that’s driven by the interactions between Cal and Erin, and each one brings you closer to understanding the reasoning behind their strained relationship. Through their time together, you’re able to learn so much about their characters, not only with their sibling bond, but who they are as individuals, offering an enriching view into their lives and how this chapter is further shaping them. Other than the story shared between Cal and Erin, there are also a couple of bigger themes at play within the narrative, giving us just enough details to keep those themes in our mind and ponder what they mean for the story as a whole.
The cinematography by Giles Nuttgens, who worked with McGehee and Siegel on their films “The Deep End” and “Bee Season,” delivers gorgeous, majestic views of Montana. His work here is on the same level as what he accomplished in David Mackenzie’s “Hell of High Water” with how he captured rural areas (West Texas in the case of Mackenzie’s film). While he was able to balance between providing great shots of the Texas landscapes and capturing the thrilling action scenes of “Hell of High Water,” what he does in “Montana Story” is exhibit the huge landscapes, but this time servicing a quieter story, all while still giving a power to how he frames the natural beauty of those regions.
The way in which McGehee and Siegel handle the pace of the film as directors offers a steady unfolding of Cal and Erin’s relationship, giving us a feeling of being invited into their personal lives little by little. This deliberate pace allows us to absorb the details of their characters as McGehee and Siegel have you spend time with them, whether it be when we’re in their house and getting to know their home, or in their car as we venture through the terrain. There’s a strong sense of place with both of these settings as we see the impacts that they have on the characters.
“Montana Story” shows that, even if you feel isolated by grief, you don’t have to be alone when the time arrives to confront it.
Grade: A
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