Promised Land

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Blu B It's alright and has a subject with lots of commentary and some interesting characters. It's also got some nice shots every now and than but lots of times it's kind of dull to look at. It's all right all around for the most part. Where this has two huge problems besides the basic direction is in the middle it feels like it gets very muddled. It feels like stuff is just happening and we really lose focus. It's like we know we wanna set up a conspiracy and drama but we just have no idea how set it up cohesively. The twist isn't bad though and thought provoking. It's just not set up very well at all. Finally, this has a NASTY problem where it goes on long rants where it preaches rather than entertains with it's enviormentalist message. The gym scene with Holbrook just explaining facts like we're in enviormental class gets really boring and any drama this builds up just always comes to a screeching halt whenever it does that. It can't get out of it's own way in tha regard. Skip This. Dark Waters (2019) does this same theme this is going for 1000% better. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/17/24 Full Review Gareth v A movie that at it's roots is a political/environmental tale of big business trying to impose their will on a small town through money and propoganda. A solid enough effort from van Sant but not his best work either. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/22/23 Full Review John R While the environmental discussion in this movie is fairly simplistic for most of the runtime (essentially both sides lie to rural people "for their own good"), what this movie does really well is point to what is good about local communities like this: Namely that there is a real sense of belonging that exists in towns like the one pictured here. The farms have been in the family for generations, the land is a part of the people and the people are a part of the land. There's tradition and history there. To be sure, a lot of towns like this one are dying. The agricultural way of life is becoming more and more difficult to sustain if you aren't doing it at a very high volume, but what Matt Damon realizes over the course of the movie is that he's working out his own disappointment about the failure of his hometown, pushing his animus at people in similar situations, wondering why, as he says, they "won't just leave." When he's forced to come to terms with the damage he's doing, with the lies and half-truths told to people he's actually learned to care about, it gets to him. This movie takes its time. It's central conflict leaves a lot to be desired, but the value of local cultures and communities, and for me, the ending, make it all work. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review steve d Lazy, boring and with nothing to say. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I feel like to really appreciate this movie one has to like other movies that Gus Van Sant and Matt Damon teamed up for. I think this movie is really well done and didn't see the twist coming at all Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member The performances are easily the best part of Promised Land. Everyone is excellent, and I'm not sure any filmmaker shows such compassion for their characters as Van Sant. It's also hard to argue against the themes of this film. Once again, middle America serves purely as pawns in the political and economical fight between all sides of the arrogant elites. Unfortunately, the incessant preachiness, cloying speechifying, and cliched heroism are a bit too overwhelming. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Promised Land

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