ST. LOUIS — As my wife said before we hit play on his new movie, "If there is one thing that can get my attention off the election, it's Kevin Costner." She couldn't possibly be more right.
"Let Him Go" showcases the seasoned actor in his sweet spot: A strong supporting turn that lurks over the entire film and adds a layer of context to even the simplest of scenes and stories. Costner has aged well in Hollywood because he doesn't mind handing the spotlight to another actor, only to steal it later.
Diane Lane is Costner's co-pilot spouse on film for the second time, following their work in Zack Snyder's Superman films. Here, the couple strike a highly realistic portrayal of an older couple reeling from a huge loss, yet holding onto that bond of love that's still waving between them.
After a terrible tragedy opens the film, we are introduced to George (Costner) and Margaret (Lane) Blackledge, and their adorable devotion to their grandson is present from the jump. Their son's widow (a very good Kayli Carter), however, marries into a dangerous family by the name of Weboy, and this sets up a moral-and soon very physical-tug of war between the two families.
All over the fate of young Jimmy, a boy too underdeveloped for the situation at hand. But I will tell you this much, Bram and Otto Hornung (who each play Jimmy at different ages) give solid performances on mere expressions and body movements alone. Less is more with the kid's portrayal of the prize of the film's story, serving Thomas Bazucha's film quite well.
I was little shocked when I saw the writer-director hadn't made a film in nine years, and that he directed one of my favorite Christmas movies, "The Family Stone." The Clint Eastwood-esque score led me to believing he was possibly an assistant director or DP on one of Eastwood's films. But "Let Him Go" assures me he's a name to keep an eye on.
While the performances are a big highlight here, including Lesley Manville and Jeffrey Donovan as the more sinister members of the Weboy family, it's Bazucha's camera work and adaptation of Larry Watson's novel that gives the film the extra juice.
The entire film, from about 15 minutes in, is a pressure cooker set on medium heat, slowly building the torch to make everything start to boil. Every other scene is tense and carries a foreboding spice at the outset, where you just know bloodshed and bullets will solve this dilemma over words and handshakes. I was reminded of "Out of the Furnace," Scott Cooper's dreary yet well-made thriller with Christian Bale, as I watched this film unfold. Some movies, you just know things are going to go bad. That's not for everybody seeking out a movie, but it's closer to original than most flicks these days.
But Costner and Lane give it the authenticity to not only keep the tension high, but lock you into the characters and their struggle. You get to know this battle-scarred couple real quick, and that's due to the ease of which the leads slip into the disguise. Costner is riding a gruff lawman/cowboy streak at the moment, and it's working. It's like Liam Neeson's stretch after "Taken," but with more precision.
Lane has developed a fine second act to her career as well, and while you may want to shake Margaret around and tell her of the dire stakes at times, the actress gives the role everything she's got. Many people know Lane for the sultry "Unfaithful," but she's put together a competent overall career. Sometimes, it's creativity that keeps an actor going; in these two cases, it's just a knowledge of their strengths.
Along with the warmth amid the tension-filled foreboding, Bezucha's film has a patience about it that helped the action-packed finale. Rest assured this film delivers and then some with its finish, but the slower scenes early on and consistently throughout helped set the foundation for that madness.
It's a film that circles around you for an hour before exploding in a scene that takes place in a motel. But before that violence, the groundwork was there to make us root for and get emotional over the fate of the characters. But when the guns go off and the fists fly, the violence carries a pulpy realism that matches the hype.
Everything came together quite nice in "Let Him Go," a somber yet highly effective thriller-drama hybrid. It takes its time getting going, but the heartfelt touches that are thrown around the action make it count. Look for a late scene involving a horse and whispering solace into one's ear to push you to the breaking point.
My wife was right. It's a good distraction at the moment, watching Costner shine in a row made for him and a movie with a brain creating tension.
"Let Him Go" is worth a visit to the theater. Not all 2020 films are, even some of the good ones. It's the rare "theaters only" release, and it's worth a date night over to the Galleria 6 Cinemas, one of the local theaters carrying the film.
