L un des notres (Let him go)

"Of a harshness to the Cormac McCarthy. But it is ultimately a film about family, exploring the limits of blood and heart bonds: what and who we are willing to fight for. Where is the line between good and evil in such situations? This idea fascinated me, given the choices that Margaret, George or Blanche make. It's a film that touches intimately on our human nature". - Thomas Bezucha

Produced, written and directed by Thomas Bezucha and based on Larry Watson's novel of the same name published in 2013, One of Ours (Let Him Go) turns out to be a violent and uncompromising thriller, a plunge into a real hell in a faraway city in the heart of Montana. Far from the Hollywood cinema constantly seeking excess, this film takes its time to set the stage for the action and especially these remote corners of America in which men still remain in tune with nature. We thus discover A Retired Sheriff, George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) who, following the accidental death of their only son, set out to find their only grandson and save him and his remarried mother to a son of a family considered dangerous to many.

Thomas Bezucha who signs there his fourth film after Big Eden (2000), Esprit de famille (The Family Stone) (2005), Bienvenue à Monte-Carlo (Monte Carlo) (2011) gives us a successful adaptation of one of Larry Watson's bestsellers. One of ours (Let him go) is not only a thriller about the disappearance of a child, but above all a drama about a couple devastated by tragedy, a story of mothers and sons. In the two lead roles Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are a realistic couple who will leave behind their quiet life on a ranch to go in search of their grandson. The calm of their characters will confront a real redneck family whose violence seems to be their way of overcoming their difficulties.

The first part of the very calm film gives way little by little to a film of deep violence in which this retired sheriff who wishes to live far from any violence will again have to engage in a terrible fight and resort to violence to confront a dangerous family with disturbing morals. This so-called family easily reminds us of the one portrayed in the film The Return of Inspector Harry (Sudden Impact) (1983) and one will inevitably think when seeing the character played by Kevin Costner that of Inspector Harry in this film for which the law must be respected and violence must respond to violence.

One of ours (Let him go) turns out to be not only an excellent film by the vision of a true director taking as much care of his direction of the actors but also to propose a film benefiting from an excellent photography. The half-tone music composed by Michael Giacchino accompanies this story. Once again we can only salute Kevin Costner's excellent interpretation and we can easily understand his commitment as executive producer on this modern western with a striking ending.

Let Him Go
Written and directed by Thomas Bezucha
Produced by Mitchell Kaplan, Paula Mazur, Thomas Bezucha
Based on Let Him Go by Larry Watson
Starring Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Lesley Manville
Music by Michael Giacchino
Cinematography : Guy Godfree
Edited by Jeffrey Ford, Meg Reticker
Production company: Mazur Kaplan Company
Distributed by Focus Features (United States), Universal Pictures International France (France)
Release date November 6, 2020 (United States), January 6, 2021 (France)
Running time: 114 minutes

Viewed December 03, 2020

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