Monday, February 7, 2022

Sundance Review: ‘God’s Country’ features a central performance of visceral intensity

In God’s Country, director Julian Higgins has gifted actor Thandiwe Newton a role of rare intensity, in this slow burn melodrama of escalating miscommunication. Set in the frozen wastes of Montana, where isolated homesteads and overbearing mountain ranges dominate a barren landscape, relationships are precious things. As Sandra Guidry, audiences are introduced to Newton in the aftermath of her mother’s funeral, dealing with unpleasant formalities.

In taking this approach, Higgins establishes tone, hints at character, and offers up an indication of the strength she quietly harbors within. Living alone with nothing but her dog for company, Newton works hard to maintain momentum, either sorting through belongings or interacting occasionally with colleagues at work. In the main, there are few external indications of grief in those early stages, as she uses routine and structure to stave off any outward signs of emotional turmoil. It is only with the arrival of an unwelcome red pick-up truck, illegally parked on her land, that Sandra is able to begin channeling her loss elsewhere.



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