There’s much to see and much to absorb in this modern Western drama. So much so that it’s worth seeing twice. Nuanced with subtle emotional imagery, Let Him Go goes where few films these days dare to venture—serious unpretentious storytelling worthy of adult viewership.
Director/writer Thomas Bezucha skillfully adapts Larry Watson’s novel in a lean cinematic form. The film begins simply and effectively drawing us into the hardscrabble life of an older couple on a ranch in the early ’60s–the plumbing goes bad, an injured horse needs to be put down—everyday problems elevated by actors who know exactly what to do with their characters.
Retired sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) have grown into each other as old married couples do. The dialog is sparse and they communicate mostly through looks and glances. If this were a talky film, you get the feeling they’d finish each other’s sentences.
The Blackledges share their modest home with their son, James (Ryan Bruce); his wife, Lorna (Kayli Carter); and their infant son, Jimmy. When James’ horse returns riderless and James is found dead near a creek, George and Margaret grieve in slightly different directions. She wants to help raise their grandson and he’s content with letting him go. Their grief turns foreboding when several years later, Lorna weds Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain).
Donnie’s sinister nature creeps into this relationship like a slow cancer, something Margaret has long feared. Her suspicions are confirmed when she witnesses Donnie slap Jimmy after he drops his ice cream, then subsequently slaps Lorna in public. Cinematographer Guy Godfree and Bezucha set this scene adroitly. With shocking effect their soundless long shot lets us imagine the cruel verbal exchange that accompanies the violence.
Margaret wastes no time in planning to rescue her only grandson and Lorna from a life of abuse and misery. But George is stuck in the inertia of letting things go as they have been. He remains an unmovable object against Margaret’s kinetic unrest. We do get the sense that George is struggling internally with the idea that his grandson will suffer dearly at the hands of Donnie Weboy. There’s also his drinking problem, which is tangentially introduced as something he’s dealing with.
Margaret finally convinces George to rescue their grandson and trek into North Dakota. George uses his connections as a former lawman to track down Jimmy at the Weboy family’s remote compound. During their trek, the couple runs into a young Native American loner (Booboo Stewart), who helps them navigate both the terrain and the inner workings of the Weboy family.
The palpable tension mounts as brother, Bill Weboy (Jeffrey Donovan) leads them to the Weboy homestead, insisting that Margaret ride with him. George follows in his truck through winding back roads in the middle of nowhere.
There they discover Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville), a matriarch who wields the power of a queen backed by her four big sons. Her tacky Shopping-Network attire and make-up dovetail nicely with a booming boisterous manner that reminds you of a saloon Madame from the old west. Blanche buries herself in the part and leverages her superior position well, with mocking laughs and sinister smiles–all with a delicious undercurrent of menace.
She herds her hulking sons like cattle and expects George and Margaret to kowtow to her, insisting they join the Weboys for a ‘friendly dinner.’ But Margaret, seeing where all this is headed, gives as good as she gets when Blanche tries to insult and intimidate her. When friendly courtesies are discarded and things turn ugly. George steps in. But Margaret’s linebacker sons keep George in his place, putting the Blackledges at the mercy of the Weboys.
The ending works well in a cataclysmic clash of rage and violence. Let Him Go is an excellent example of what a skilled filmmaker can do with a tight script and talented actors.
Alex A. Kecskes is a published author of "Healer a Novel" and "The Search for Dr. Noble"—both now available on Amazon. He has written hundreds of film reviews and celebrity interviews for a wide variety of online and print outlets. He has covered red carpet premieres and Comic-Con events for major films and independent releases.
