Robin Wright both stars and directs the 2021 drama film ‘Land’, which primarily focuses on a woman who chooses to isolate herself away from society, in order to find herself again. This is also Robin’s directorial debut and brings the story written by Jesse Chatham and Erin Dignam to life and creates a beautiful piece of cinematography.

The film tells the story of Edee Mathis (portrayed by Robin Wright), a middle-aged woman and her journey of self-discovery. The story begins with Edee in a therapy session, discussing her mental health and trying to figure out her purpose in life. The movie then transitions to Edee driving out of the city, to the countryside while reflecting a little on what caused her to make such a drastic change. Along the way, she buys herself some tools to prepare for life in the woods and signs the agreement at a real estate agency to buy an old cabin far out in the mountains.

Throughout most of the movie, not much context is given as to why she puts the city life behind her to live out in the woods, but more about her past slowly gets revealed as the story progresses. After she arrives at her new home with the help of the real estate agent, it becomes clear how serious Edee is about staying away from society. She already dropped her smartphone in the bin while her sister was calling earlier, chooses to have no vehicle to travel anywhere far and her new home has no electricity at all, which also means no tv, no radio, no telephone, no way to contact anyone or even receive any news of anything happening the world. This is everything she wanted and is perfectly ok with her new life of solitude, while being surrounded by the breathtaking scenery, well at least at the beginning.

After settling into the rundown old cabin, Edee sets out to hunt, fish, grow crops and chop wood, but quickly learns nothing is as easy as she had hoped. She keeps books that explains everything she needs about how to survive in the woods, but no matter how often she studies them, she just isn’t cut out for this. What seems like basic skills for any woodsman, just doesn’t come natural to her, even fetching pails of water feels like more trouble than it’s worth. All she has to survive on is the canned food she brought with her on the day of her arrival, which of course doesn’t last forever. Things become even worse after she finds the house completely trashed, because she accidentally left the front door open. She also runs out of firewood during the snow season and resorts burning the pages from her books to keep herself warm. Edee even contemplates suicide when she feels like all hope is lost.

Starving, malnourished and possibly suffering from hypothermia, thankfully she was found by a local hunter named Miguel (played by Demián Bichir) who was passing by and suspected something wasn’t right. He helps Edee get back on her feet and insists that he teaches her how to survive in the wilderness, but promises to stay out of her life once she is capable of living on her own. Miguel also agrees to not bring any news from elsewhere, to honour her wishes. While Edee learns all the tricks of the trade, it she realises that even though she prefers to be alone, she cant help but enjoy Miguel’s company and they soon begin to realise they’re able to relate to each other, even if they barely say anything at all.

The chemistry between Edee and Miguel was incredibly well done and a real pleasure to watch on screen. Even though Miguel plays more of a supporting role and has much less screen time than Edee, it’s very clear to see how much of an impression he made on her, even though he only visits from time to time. This also helps Edee appreciate all the time she gets to herself and really take in the breathtaking views all around her. In a way, the wilderness feels like a character itself, as it causes Edee a lot of grief at the beginning, but also helps her heal from her traumatic past.

Robin Wright’s performance as Edee is truly something to admire, as shows the struggle going from life in the city crowded with people, to life in the woods in complete isolation. Without all the luxuries of living in the city, it’s incredibly satisfying to see how far Edee has come, as she absolutely embraces her surroundings and feels happy for the first time in a long time. Living in isolation, in a cabin high up in the mountains with breathtaking sights, far far away from the constant pressures of the cities and its people, and relying only on herself, kind of feels like an extended (maybe even permanent) holiday.

The way the movie was put together, really helps tell the story without the need for as much dialogue. All the little details carry so much meaning, such as the wedding ring Edee still wears which indicates she has or had a husband, her imagining having a husband and child, blisters on her hands trying to perform basic tasks and the physical changes in Edee’s appearance as the story progresses. Even in moments of silence the movie can tell so much of what’s going on in Edee’s mind.

Another thing worth noting is that there is no clear indication of time, since Edee has no way of telling the time or even what day it is, because she’s been living without any technology, not even a clock, watch or a calendar. The movie also doesn’t show how much time has passed by displaying it on screen and this helps create that feeling of time being endless. It also helps Edee feel even more freedom, not having the pressure of time as well as meeting deadlines, demands and expectations of others. Audiences can get a good idea of how much time has gone by, by seeing the snow come and go, as well as the progression of Robin Wright’s character and the subtle changes in her physical appearance.

The ending will also help everyone realise that time is also short, to make the most of it and not take it for granted, but also remember to make time to look ourselves as well. It’s a very satisfying end to the story about someone who puts herself through hell and back, on a journey of self-discovery and will be difficult audiences to not shed even a single tear.

The pressures of living day to day, pay cheque to pay cheque and trying to meet everyone’s expectations, while also dealing with personal issues, mental health and traumatic experiences can really take its toll on anyone. ‘Land’ is the perfect movie that will inspire anyone going through similar experiences, as they will get to see from a different perspective, what it’s like to leave it all behind and live a life of solitude, in order to find themselves again.

Written by: Sammy Hanson