The Unknown Country
July 28th, 2023
MOVIE: THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY
STARRING: LILY GLADSTONE, RAYMOND LEE
DIRECTOR: MORRISA MALTZ
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
The Unknown Country was the movie that I needed at the moment. I had been having a rough week. Tired from work and my depression had been stronger than usual. Then I watched Morrisa Maltz’s film and my worries melted away. I think they melted away because it’s a movie about self-discovery. It’s an escape for the soul, a captured moment on how to find oneself and make a connection with others in the world. That’s something I long to do or at least appreciate being able to live vicariously through the eyes of Lily Gladstone. The Unknown Country is a beautiful discovery. An independent film that must be celebrated.
Writing about The Unknown Country is less about the plot and more about being in the moment. The lead character is Tana (Gladstone), a woman who has just lost her grandmother who was very important to her, and now she’s received an invitation from her relatives in Texas to reunite. Accepting the invitation, she embarks on a journey from the Midwest, and along the way she will meet various people, some leaving a deeper impression, others just passing by, but leading her to a place to find a greater purpose. What can be said about The Unknown Country is that it’s about the journey and not the destination.
Going on the journey is done through the guiding hand of Maltz’s vision and the vibrant glow of Andrew Hajek’s cinematography. From location to location, with stops at neon-lit motels and small-town bars, we can feel the temperature change, from colder midwest towns to warmer Oklahoma settings, and with each stop, we get a little deeper into Tana’s life. The story is co-written by Gladstone and it clearly has her own personal influence. She visits her cousin’s wedding, where we see how she is embraced by her family, members of The Oglala Lakota Tribe, and a connection is made that she cherishes greatly. There is a bittersweet feeling when Tana leaves a state or moves on from the people we meet and that’s because the bonds she creates are so meaningful.
An easy movie to compare this to is Nomadland. It’s a similar vibe of a woman going off to discover herself but in many ways, they couldn’t be more different. The cinematography for Chloe Zhao’s films is her own style, with wider shots, and golden sunsets. The direction from Maltz feels like a documentary. It’s because of this approach that we feel a greater sense of what Tana feels and we couldn’t feel that without the spectacular performance from Gladstone. The Certain Women and Quantum Cowboys actor continues to shine. She’s an actor we just can’t take our eyes off of, having a charisma that is perfect for the journey, and a welcoming disposition that radiates through the screen. Gladstone‘s performance here is to just be, to live in the moments, and it’s the perfect touch.
In many ways, The Unknown Country is a spot-on example of independent cinema that deserves to be loved and cherished. My only major quarrel was that the ending felt abrupt and I wanted it to keep going. The Unknown Country is the real deal. One solitary actor, driving across the American Midwest, meeting people from all walks of life, and we go along with her. It’s beautiful and The Unknown Country is something we all need to experience. We just have to find time to get out on the road.
THE UNKNOWN COUNTRY IS PLAYING IN SELECT THEATERS AND OPENS IN CHICAGO AT THE GENE SISKEL FILM CENTER ON AUGUST 18TH, 2023.
3 ½ STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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