The last time we saw directing duo Scott McGehee and David Siegel work together on a feature film, the result was the powerful undervalued masterpiece from 2012 What Maisie Knew, instantly marking the co-directors down as talents to keep a very close eye on.
Taking almost a decade to return to the big screen, McGehee and Siegel return to the dramatic feature landscape with the picturesque and character driven family drama Montana Story, a slow moving affair that at times seems likely to reach some strong narrative threads but unfortunately ends up being a merely adequate independent drama that is unable to stand out from the crowd despite two committed lead turns and a stunning location for its story to unfold around.
A familiar feeling affair centred around Owen Teague's Cal and Haley Lu Richardson's Erin, siblings who share the same traumatic childhood due to the hands of their ailing father who has suffered a debilitating stroke and lays awaiting his imminent demise in their old farmhouse that holds many painful memories but also glimmers of hope for the two young souls to move on from the past and finally start focusing on their own futures.
Impressive in the likes of To Leslie and TV series Bloodline, Teague is ably supported by Richardson who is proving herself to be a likely future star on the back of efforts like this and her turn in hit HBO dramedy The White Lotus season 2 and the two up and coming Hollywood actors can't be faulted throughout Story's runtime but sadly McGehee and Siegel aren't able to tap into the same dramatic strengths they managed to mine in What Maisie Knew as Story lacks a true emotional connection or interest that would've made it a special small-scale outing.
As it stands, Story is a well-meaning and nicely put together tale but it fails to inspire much in the way of emotion or reason to care beyond a minor way making the venture a curious return from McGehee and Siegel who after their previous effort was released seemed destined to become some of the most important co-directing voices in the independent scene but now have their work cut off for them to remind us all of their talents that are no doubt there to showcase.
Final Say -
There's nothing particularly bad about Montana Story but there's also nothing particularly good. A quiet and character driven drama, this pretty too look at feature is sadly stuck in the middle ground.
2 1/2 horse floats out of 5.
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)
Taking almost a decade to return to the big screen, McGehee and Siegel return to the dramatic feature landscape with the picturesque and character driven family drama Montana Story, a slow moving affair that at times seems likely to reach some strong narrative threads but unfortunately ends up being a merely adequate independent drama that is unable to stand out from the crowd despite two committed lead turns and a stunning location for its story to unfold around.
A familiar feeling affair centred around Owen Teague's Cal and Haley Lu Richardson's Erin, siblings who share the same traumatic childhood due to the hands of their ailing father who has suffered a debilitating stroke and lays awaiting his imminent demise in their old farmhouse that holds many painful memories but also glimmers of hope for the two young souls to move on from the past and finally start focusing on their own futures.
Impressive in the likes of To Leslie and TV series Bloodline, Teague is ably supported by Richardson who is proving herself to be a likely future star on the back of efforts like this and her turn in hit HBO dramedy The White Lotus season 2 and the two up and coming Hollywood actors can't be faulted throughout Story's runtime but sadly McGehee and Siegel aren't able to tap into the same dramatic strengths they managed to mine in What Maisie Knew as Story lacks a true emotional connection or interest that would've made it a special small-scale outing.
As it stands, Story is a well-meaning and nicely put together tale but it fails to inspire much in the way of emotion or reason to care beyond a minor way making the venture a curious return from McGehee and Siegel who after their previous effort was released seemed destined to become some of the most important co-directing voices in the independent scene but now have their work cut off for them to remind us all of their talents that are no doubt there to showcase.
Final Say -
There's nothing particularly bad about Montana Story but there's also nothing particularly good. A quiet and character driven drama, this pretty too look at feature is sadly stuck in the middle ground.
2 1/2 horse floats out of 5.
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)