Audience Member
Spoilers: Clash of cultures, though the topic is as old as ol Chris Columbus. But the beautiful thing was the nature cinematography and the intimate glimpse inside of a Native American family, the cultural flow. In the end, don't we think if we are white like me: These people are more like me than not? They joke, they love daughters and sisters and uncles and nieces and will go more than a mile to literally hunt for ways to make things better for those loved ones, and if necessary to save them. It wasn't so much that I think all Native Americans have a proclivity for bumping off drug dealers. Nor do I think having trap lines to bag game nor rifles to blow geese out of the air nor feeding an old female bear tells the story of Native American oneness with nature. But the easy flow of banter of uncle and niece as they bring home a moose she shot to Moosonee in Canada and strip it for meat is a window into a mind-set. Uncle, Brandon, reveals how he screwed up along the way, losing his whole family to fire, making him drink too much. But a hunting niece Tanaya is, as she looks for her sister, moved on to Toronto and big money as an "indigenous" model, where the sister fell under the spell of drug dealers and the corruption of an abusive white society, which we might see as another hackneyed topic, though maybe true. But it is less about that than about Tanaya's hunter mind-set to get to the bottom of her missing sister, though she had her own brief flirtation with big-city modeling and drugs along the way, which points to how we are all susceptible to corruption , which is why they call it the straight and narrow. But she abruptly went home where she belonged, writing her sister off to a drug death, and it was a good thing she did. As mother and uncle were about to be killed by two vicious drug dealers, the telegraphed ending had to be as it was. Nobody else could have saved them but via the return of the native daughter/niece, able to bring down a moose with a rifle. The criminal pushers had no chance. And could there have been a more beautiful picture of a woman's face, wearing her sister's hunting hat, as she contentedly looked out at the lake where she and sis as little girls played on the dock, surrounded by a cathedral of trees, greenery, earth and sky? Thanks for the glimpse of Americana, of families dating back long before Columbus and the rest of us changed everything for Native Americans. Brandon and Tanaya made us care about these people, and isn't that what good storytelling is about?
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/07/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Interesting. It stayed with me.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/21/23
Full Review
Audience Member
You have to see this film. It's real world drama. You'll feel empathy for the individuals trying to deal with a lost family member and the indigenous culture and beautiful scenery will captivate you, no matter what age you are. This film is an emotional roller-coaster that has you routing for vengeance for all the afflicted with the disappearance and all of this girl. All film goers will feel a strong connection with at least one character in this film. Truly-the best film I've seen in a decade.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
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Audience Member
Though a rare movie putting forward the beauty of Canada's boreal forest, the story and its wannabe twists are too often contrived.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
02/10/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Tanaya Beatty is absolutely fantastic. The movie itself was a little slow at times but I was just so mesmerized by her that it didn't even matter.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/15/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Incredible movie. Well directed, great story.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/16/23
Full Review
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