A One Mann’s Movies review of “Let Him Go” (2020).
Bob the Movie Man’s Rating:
Certification:
US: R. UK: 15.
There are movies that I categorise as “Susie Films” and others as “Non-Susie Films”, referring those that The Illustrious Mrs Movie Man would castigate me afterwards for making her watch. I had a hunch that “Let Him Go” might be a “Non-Susie Film”, so I went to see it alone…. and I was glad I did! It has more than one aspect of the plot that would have upset her.
Back practicing his movie horse-riding skills. Kevin Costner investigating a disappearance in “Let Him Go”. (Source: Focus Features).
A journey into darkness.
After a family tragedy for the Blackledge family, grandparents George (Kevin Costner) and Margaret (Diane Lane)* are left to bring up baby Jimmy (Bram and Otto Hornung) with mother/daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter). But a few years later, Lorna marries bad-un Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain) and disappears back to Donnie’s hillbilly extended family in the wilds of North Dakota, led by the fearsome Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville). Fearing for the child’s wellbeing, Margaret drags retired Sheriff George on a dangerous journey to rescue the child.
(*Trivia question – When have Kevin Costner and Diane Lane previously played husband and wife? Answer in the final paragraph of this review).
Margaret (Diane Lane) trying to make Lorna (Kayli Carter) see sense. (Source: Focus Features).
Ozark without the Ozarks.
There are strong similarities in this story with a sub-plot of the excellent “Ozark”, where the psychopathic Darlene Snell (Lisa Emery) is intent on having a child to grow up with on her remote ranch. The sense of tension there is recreated here, exacerbated by the movie’s extremely slow (read “glacial”) pace in its early stages. It’s the same sort of rising dread that I felt with “Nocturnal Animals“. This reaches its peak at a tense standoff over lamb chops at the Weboy ranch, but we are probably half-way into the film by then.
The slow pace however is broken by a couple of extremely violent scenes that earn the movie its UK-15 certificate. One (no spoilers here, but see the ‘spoiler section’ at the end for the answer) harks back to another Kevin Costner blockbuster where he was a bit luckier! And the finale turns a slightly sleepy tale of “two old folks” into an ‘all guns blazing’ action western that’s highly unexpected. Although you could argue that this is tonally extremely uneven, it works and makes the movie a lot more memorable than it otherwise would be.
Another excellent performance: Jeffrey Donovan – also in the current release “Honest Thief” – as the apparently civilised face of the Weboys. (Source: Focus Features).
Three stunning star performances.
The standout leading performance here is the one from Diane Lane as the mentally tortured Granny pursuing her convictions across the country. Here writer/director Thomas Bezucha gives the character full rein. It’s a memorable ‘strong female’ part, that would have been dominated by the male lead in the writing of films a few years back. Lane delivers a dramatic and rock-solid performance that has Oscar nomination written all over it.
I’m also a big fan of Kevin Costner, not just because he’s a solid and reliable actor over many years. I always remember him gamely appearing as “The Postman”/’propeller-guy’ in Billy Crystal‘s hilarious montage opening for the 70th Academy Awards. (A poor quality copy is here if you’ve never watched it). Anyone able to take the piss out of himself and his bomb of a film in front of the whole world deserves a lot of respect! Anyhow, here he has his meatiest dramatic role in many years, and delivers fully on it. Top job, although I suspect this may not be his year for his elusive Best Actor award. (He already has Oscars for Best Director and Best Film for “Dances with Wolves” of course).
Finally, rounding out the Oscar hopefuls is our own brilliant Lesley Manville as Blanche Weboy. It’s a dream of a role for the Brighton-born star, nominated of course for the Best Supporting Actress two years ago for “Phantom Thread”. And she is genuinely chilling here, firing on all cylinders like some sort of deranged Bette Davis on speed. She’s used sparingly in the movie, but that makes her scenes all the more memorable. Another nomination perhaps? I’d predict so, yes.
A stonking and Oscar-worthy supporting performance from Lesley Manville as matriarch Blanche Weboy. (Source: Focus Features).
But who exactly is in the right here?
I found this to be an uncomfortable watch, since I found myself in a moral quandary with the storyline. It’s clear that Margaret is genuinely concerned for the safety of Jimmy (and less so, Lorna). Yet, what she is ultimately prepared to do is consider child abduction, when the law if probably on the side of the other party. Sure, the lifestyle and attitudes of the Weboys are alien to this more traditional “Granny”. But although Blanche rules with a Victorian-level of grit, isn’t she – at least before any of her more vicious tendencies emerge – entitled to do that? The film firmly roots itself behind the Blackledge’s as “the good guys”, but the script cleverly has you questioning that at various points,
Cinematography and Music.
Two technical categories in “Let Him Go” are also worthy of note.
The cinematography is by Guy Godfree, and the sweeping vistas of Montana and North Dakota (actually Alberta in Canada!) are gloriously delivered.
And the music by Michael Giacchino – one of my favourite composers – is cello-heavy and fitting for the sombre storyline. I always assess the quality of a score by whether I annoy the cinema cleaners by sitting until the last of the end credits have rolled, and this is one I did that to.
A convenient overnight stop. George meets the reclusive native American Peter Dragswolf (Booboo Stewart). (Source: Focus Features).
“Let Him Go” is not an uplifting Christmas classic for the holiday season!
As the last movie I see before Christmas, “Let Him Go” is not exactly a feelgood festive offering. It’s a well-crafted and thoughtful story, but not one to make you feel good inside, for the reasons outlined above. If you are a movie-lover though, then it’s an interesting watch, if only for the fine acting performances on offer.
Oh, and the answer to that trivia question is of course “Man of Steel“, where Costner and Lane played Jonathan and Martha Kent.
Trailer:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE8pwEF-3TI .
Spoiler Section – Don’t read if you intend to see the movie!
The scene I’m referring to is in “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves” where Costner is about to have his hand lopped off after being captured in the Crusades. He’s saved in that case, but here he will need to learn to play the piano one handed! A genuinely tense, brutal and gory scene. (OK, so after this point, perhaps the kid is better off elsewhere!)
