If Taken was set in 1960’s Montana, it’d be Let Him Go.
Diane Lane and Kevin Costner? You mean Superman’s parents in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)? One and the same. This time they’re partnered up as spouses in the spotlight fighting for the good of their grandson. Let Him Go opens in theaters November 6th, 2020, and you don’t want to miss it.
Great Script, Great Cast, Can’t Lose
I’m gonna say it: Kevin Costner has found his thing. He’s at the right age of 65 and is at home on horseback again as George Blackledge in Let Him Go. The last few years has seen him a handful of period pieces on the big screen, including Hidden Figures and The Highwaymen, as well as the massive TV hit Yellowstone. As someone whose only recently seen Dances With Wolves, I get it. He’s got the look, the attitude, and the rugged yet poised masculine energy for those roles.
Now Diane Lane is not out of place, though this is no Under the Tuscan Sun or Nights in Rodanthe. She plays a very real grandmother as Margaret Blackledge, but it’s a character unlike so many previous portrayals. In Let Him Go, she’ll still be baking sweets, but also driving round town packing heat. It’s refreshing to see a parent and grandparent who truly loves their progeny enough to die for them. Yet, unlike the wearied trope of the frantic, hysterical woman, her character is much deeper and more genuine. No unnecessary tears, no diet misogyny in the writing. It felt like a character that was real, and not simply a gender role embodied.
If You Write, Be Right
You could tell that the author of the novel and source material, Larry Watson, lives in the real world. He understands how emotions, experience, and motivations can collide to produce a perfect conflict for our heroes to overcome. Writer and director Thomas Bezucha levied that source material to create a beautiful screenplay.
I was blown away at how quickly the introduction of the film was. It was a little in media res, but wasn’t jarring in the least bit. No timestamp, no geotag, just story. The visual storytelling was superb, with beautiful images and montages replacing the need for petty dialogue. By the time Diane Lane as Margaret and Kevin Costner as George utter their first lines, we already know enough about their characters and the world they inhabit to feel caught up to speed.
The story focuses on the love they have for their grandson, little Jimmy Blackledge, and the lengths they’d go to in order to provide him the best life. The setting is mid 1960’s Montana from the looks and sound of it. Margaret’s love for her grandson sets she and George on a mission to bring Jimmy home. They soon realize there’s no turning back until they’ve got Jimmy back safely, no matter the risk or consequence.
Let Him Go: What Else is it Like?
Kevin Costner is no Liam Neeson, Diane Lane is no Charlize Theron. There, we separated them from the action king and queen of the 2010’s. That said, this feels less like Gran Torino than it does Taken.
Similar themes and motivations brought Taken to mind, but the world in which they operate is so much slower. Imagine Paul Dano’s Wildlife and Taken meet up to compare notes, and you have Let Him Go. The story is strong, the dialogue natural, and it’s devoid of the cheesy “save the x” tropes we so often see. What kind of attention span do you need? More than Hobbs and Shaw, less than I’m Thinking of Ending Things. It easily holds your attention with the beautiful locales, cinematography, and acting.
Story Through Scenery
The beauty of the film is due largely to their shooting on location. The wide open landscapes, the desolate fields and dusty service roads, they become a character. It’s a place that offers no creature comforts and no forgiveness. The respite of a small town is temporary before journeying through the mined hills and deserted ranches.
Scenery, location, and place become key to the plot as the story nears its close. The climax comes with maximum tension knowing that even success requires four good tires and a working engine. I’d love to go visit, perhaps when it’s not cold, dreary, or wintery. It’s still such a wild place, and that adds to their courageous nature of Margaret and George’s mission.
Wrap it Up Already…
See it! I don’t care if you loved The Highwaymen or loved Batman v. Superman, this is a movie that will keep your attention and draw you in. Something so well-written and understated needs to be enjoyed. Silence your phone, grab some popcorn, and sit down for one of 2020’s better flicks.
While you’re here…
Check out some of Tristan’s other articles here.
Feel like getting political? Check out his review of Jon Stewart’s Irresistible.