Summary
This unassuming and beautifully shot film is a two-hander character study that gets to the heart of the conflict between grief and resentment.
From the sweeping skylines to the casual presence of mountains in the background, MONTANA STORY has a firm sense of place. Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s (What Maisie Knew) latest drama may seem like an unassuming affair, but there is as much lurking under the film’s visual surface as there is in the characters who lead the narrative.
Cal (Owen Teague) returns home to his family ranch as his father nears death. Comatose, he is cared for by palliative nurse Ace (Gilbert Owuor). When Cal’s estranged sibling Erin (Haley Lu Richardson) also returns home, it is the first he has heard from her in years.
As the story slowly unfolds, we learn of the shared trauma of these characters. Born to different mothers, they both had to contend with the abusive behaviour of a father who is no longer able to answer for his crimes. As the siblings come to know each other again, they must also deal with the conflicting emotions of caring for a person who was relentlessly cruel to his children.
Backed by the stunning cinematography of Giles Nuttgens, whose striking photography has been a character of equal footing in films like Hell or High Water, it’s hard not to get swept up in McGhee and Siegel’s story. As the title would imply, this is a story of and about Montana. The physicality of the surrounds is impossible to miss in every frame, especially when the interiors are darkly lit and claustrophobic by comparison.
Yet it’s a two-hander at heart, and a terrific character study at that. Richardson gives away very little when we meet her character, we don’t even know where Erin’s been, although Erin’s insistence on taking Mr. T back home belies a deeper need for something. The younger Teague carries a similar unspoken weight to his Cal, so when the emotional catharsis between brother and sister finally comes, it is as understated as film’s measured pace.
MONTANA STORY has been widely called a neo-western, and there’s some sense in that. It transplants those frontier emotions into a contemporary setting, although the ‘bad guy’ in this case is a passive entity for much of the picture. As a showcase for its location and stars it’s impeccable, and a welcome addition to the quarter-life coming of age genre.
2021 | USA | DIRECTORS: Scott McGehee and David Siegel | WRITERS: Scott McGehee and David Siegel | CAST: Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague, Gilbert Owuor | DISTRIBUTOR: Deokub, TIFF 2021 | RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 9 September – 18 September 2021 (TIFF 2021)
