{"id":3280,"date":"2018-03-19T04:06:17","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T04:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bryanbuser.com\/365moviesbyday\/?p=3280"},"modified":"2024-07-10T00:42:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T00:42:29","slug":"into-the-forest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/365moviesbyday.bryanbuser.com\/into-the-forest\/","title":{"rendered":"Into the Forest (2016)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Movies that make you think long after they are over are among the best movies. Movies that make you feel present in the moment, or movies that bring out whatever type of emotion they were designed to bring out, are, of course, strong contenders to the effectiveness of a movie as well. But when you are still thinking about something you’ve seen, months or even years after it is over, and feeling the need to watch it again (even if you didn’t love it) is one of the biggest compliments you can give a movie. I’m saying that\u00a0Patricia Rozema’s (Mansfield Park<\/em>)\u00a0Into the Forest<\/em>\u00a0is\u00a0Platoon<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Still, it<\/em> is a movie that will keep you involved and have you think about it after viewing.<\/p>\n

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Ellen Page (Juno,\u00a0Hard Candy<\/a><\/em>) and Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler<\/a>, The Ides of March<\/em>) star in this post-apocalyptic thriller\/drama. In the not-too-distant future, older teenage sisters Nell (Page) and Eva (Wood) live in an isolated house with their father, Robert (Callum Keith Rennie – Memento, Paycheck<\/em>), in the Pacific Northwest. They live a fairly normal life. They are far more rural than just about everyone they know. The two sisters couldn’t be more different from each other.<\/p>\n

Nell is outwardly strong and logical, while Eva is more of an artistic dreamer. They are held together by a sisterly bond, tested when a power outage wipes out their entire local community for hours, days, weeks, and more. But the loss of power isn’t just affecting them. It’s a nationwide outage and possibly even worldwide. If that wasn’t enough, a fatal accident to their father makes life even direr for the sisters. But because of their lifestyle, they are in far better shape than most others regarding necessities, as we learn after a quick trip to the closest town. They have plenty of food stored. They have gasoline. They have candles, matches, trees for firewood, batteries, etc. But even with sufficient provisions in the short term, you can’t just live a completely different lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\"into<\/p>\n

But how long can any of us survive in the world when our worlds are entirely changed? And what do when those once limitless provisions run dry? And what about the intentions of others who are more desperate than ourselves? The scenarios play out for us in\u00a0Into the Forest,\u00a0<\/em>and it’s beautifully heartbreaking. When dire circumstances bring out both the best and worst in humankind, it can be a beautiful display when the right cast of characters is in play.\u00a0World War Z<\/a>,\u00a0Mad Max: Fury Road<\/a><\/em>, and\u00a0Dawn of the Dead<\/em>\u00a0are all excellent post-apocalyptic movies, but so are more subdued ones such as\u00a0Children of Men<\/a>, The Book of Eli<\/em>, and\u00a0The Road<\/em><\/a>\u00a0(which is one of the greatest books and movies that I’ve ever read or seen).<\/p>\n

Into the Forest<\/em>\u00a0isn’t quite as good as any of the films I mentioned, but it’s close. It’s certainly not limited by its top-notch performances. Its deliberate direction does not limit it. The film is purposeful in its buildup, infused with the right amount of heartwarming moments between intense episodes of lawlessness and tragedy.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the film’s third act kept it from being a masterpiece. I wonder if Rozema knew precisely how she wanted to end her movie or what she wanted to leave the viewer with. But the third act falls into the same trap that many other good, but not great, movies run into. It speeds to a finish and doesn’t feel like the same movie you’ve been watching. And I do understand this problem. Originality is difficult in Hollywood these days. We see so many sequels, prequels, reboots, and offshoots that we wildly crave authenticity. And it becomes a motivating factor to give the audience something they can’t foresee a mile away. When this works, it works so incredibly well. But when it doesn’t, we will have critics that state exactly what is mentioned here.<\/p>\n

\"into<\/div>\n
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At least one scene in this movie isn’t going to settle very well with a good portion of its audience. And I wonder if we needed this scene. Sure, you want to do the book right, but sometimes, there can be modifications to offer a gentler alternative that still evokes the same reactions from the audience. I, for one, was less bothered by the scene that I’m referring to (and one that you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it).<\/div>\n
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Overall, I am glad I watched this movie. It is certainly not a pleasurable viewing experience, but how many post-apocalyptic movies are? Unfortunately, the answer is ‘not a lot. Sure, some leave us feeling hopeful, but an overall pleasurable experience from a film that deals with the world after it has fallen apart? Unfortunately, there aren’t just a lot of those. The dynamics between Page and Wood are excellent. We see the characteristics that define each sister and the experiences that change them. These independent dramas are the perfect fit for both talented actresses, each with a range that far exceeds what they’ve been able to show in the blockbuster movies they’ve starred in previously.<\/p>\n

Plot 9\/10
\nCharacter Development 9\/10
\nCharacter Chemistry 9\/10
\nActing 9\/10
\nScreenplay 8\/10
\nDirecting\u00a0 8\/10
\nCinematography 8.5\/10
\nSound 8\/10
\nHook and Reel 8\/10
\nUniversal Relevance 9\/10
\n85.5%<\/p>\n

B<\/p>\n

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