Let Him Go

though this story of family strife takes place in the '60s, let him go is the kind of western with long, strong silences and sudden consequences that should've been a lot more effective than it ends up being. ultimately i have to place the blame on writer/director thomas bezucha, who is just working a bit outside of his oeuvre here. looking at his filmography with movies like the family stone and big eden, it's clear that bezucha likes telling stories about family relationships and heartland values. while he may be good at exploring changing times and mining those for dramatic conflict, he's... read more

Beautiful shots of the landscape and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner make an excellent duo, especially in this setting. The story, however, is kind of ridiculous with an over-the-top family (and apparently a town/sheriff that protects them?) that just didn't really fit the otherwise grounded nature of the film. read more