Title: “Land”

Release date: In theaters Feb. 12, 2021

Directed by: Robin Wright

Written by: Jesse Chatham, Erin Dignam

Starring: Robin Wright, Demian Bichir, Warren Christie, Kim Dickens, Sarah Dawn Pledge, Brad Leland, Finlay Wojtak-Hissong, Barb Mitchell, Jill Maria Robinson, Travis Gordon Phillips, Laura Yenga

Run time: 1 hour, 29 minutes

Genre: Drama

Rated: PG-13

Where I saw it: At an AMC theater on a Wednesday afternoon, $8, eight other people in the theater

What it’s about: A middle-aged woman (Wright as Edee Mathis) who is depressed after a tragic life event isolates herself in the Wyoming mountains, and when she nearly dies during a harsh winter a local outdoorsman (Bichir as Miguel) saves her and teaches her how to survive and live again.

What I liked about it: “Land” is an earnest effort by first-time director Wright, who delivers a heartfelt performance as Edee, a woman who has decided to go off the grid while processing her grief. Edee is tired of being around people who expect her to “be better” and says she feels lonelier when in the company of others than when by herself. Armed with books, determination and minimal supplies but without experience in surviving in a mountain cabin that lacks electricity and running water, Edee, not surprisingly, struggles. Lucky for her, Miguel happens by her cabin while hunting. He and a nurse (Pledge as Alawa) keep Edee from freezing to death, and then Miguel, who wants to honor Edee’s wishes to be left alone, teaches her how to hunt and trap with the promise of going away when she is ready to go it alone. Wright’s Edee has ample time to ponder life while surrounded by nature’s mountainous beauty (the film was shot in Canada, not Wyoming), captured gorgeously and in its expansive glory by Bobby Bukowski. Edee seems to be engulfed by her surroundings – exactly what she was looking for. … The music, by Ben Sollee and Time for Three, is best described as mountain music Americana (mostly a mix of acoustic guitar and strings) and perfectly complements the scenery.

What I didn’t like about it: For a movie about a protagonist finding herself, there is little of substance here. Surprisingly, not much is revealed about Edee, including (until the closing moments) what has sent her spiraling down into depression. For a woman presumably with little outdoors experience, Edee seems rather matter-of-fact about it all. Only once does she lash out in frustration. … “Land” has long stretches of silence, as you would expect from a movie of this type, and what little dialogue there is seems ordinary at best. … The film is just 89 minutes long, and if you were to take out the frequent shots of scenery, or Edee sitting on a rock looking at the snowy mountains, or the time marker shots (like icicles forming and thawing, and leaves changing color), there isn’t much movie left. “Land” feels like an underdeveloped project, and 15 minutes more of quality storytelling (perhaps focusing on Edee’s persona and backstory) would have gone a long way in making this a fuller movie experience. … This is a movie starring and directed by a woman, and a woman co-wrote the script, so it’s a little surprising that Miguel is a knight in shining armor type who rescues Edee. Miguel is a solid character, a goodhearted man who serves as a guardian angel. But wouldn’t have the movie been more original and interesting had Edee been saved by another woman who was doing her own soul-searching deep in the mountains?

Who it should appeal to: Mostly women in the 40-and-up age group, outdoors types.

My score: 55 out of 100.