Director Kelly Reichardt has been receiving massive critical acclaim since her breakthrough film Old Joy in 2006. Enignatic and slow moving, her films are certainly an acquired taste, and Night Moves is no different. It features more high profile cast members than normal, but otherwise is not any more mainstream, and I don’t expect there are queues at the multiplexes to see it!
The increasingly impressive Jesse Eisenberg stars as Josh, a worker at a farming collective and an environmental activist. Along with a fellow activist, Dena (Dakota Fanning) and a friend, Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard) he hatches a plan to destroy a dam. Initially the act seems to be a success, but an unforeseen consequence has massive repercussions.
Whilst maintaining her normal low key style, Reichardt has managed to make a mostly suspenseful film. The passage depicting the blowing up of the dam becomes more and more tense, with some of the scenes having an almost Hitchcockian feel and with all potential clichés avoided. The second part of the film, set after the sabotage is complete, is more of a character study.
As Josh starts to unravel – every car arriving at the farm or phone call fills him with dread – Dena is an even worse way. It is only towards the end of the movie, where Dena’s character has an unexpected and serious encounter that the film strikes a false note. It lacks the earlier realism, and almost ruined the good work leading up to it.
I don’t think that the film will change anyone’s mind about environmental issues, and I’m sure that was not Reichardt’s intention. If it is easy to sympathise with their concerns, their methods are questionable. Also, for people so concerned with the environment they seem to do an awful lot of long distance driving in gas guzzling vehicles. Plus they are seen filling a landfill site and drinking beer imported from Europe. I’m sure that Reichardt was fully aware of those contradictions which help stop this being a simple good versus evil portrayal.
As well as Eisenberg, Sarsgaard is believable as the resourceful Harmon. Fanning seems a little out of her depth though with a much better performance coming from Katherine Waterston as one of Josh’s colleagues.
I can imagine that the ending will infuriate some people who are hoping for a neat resolution, but it is one that has continued to resonate with me.
Rating: 8 out of 10