Montana Story (2022) Movie Review
Montana Story is a neo-Western that follows the story of two siblings who have lost touch with each other but reunite at their family ranch. Cal (Owen Teague) lives nearby and has built a life for himself with one foot still in his childhood and the ranch he grew up on. He is at the ranch already, taking care of business as his father is dying. One day his sister, Erin (Haley Lu Richardson), shows up out of the blue. The two haven’t talked in years and Cal is shocked that she made the trek from New York to visit their dying dad.
Erin has a more complicated history with the ranch and their father than Cal does. Much of this is alluded to early on but we don’t get to see the full picture until later. Erin and Cal share a deep love that only siblings who have bonded through childhood experiences can have. But that love is tinged with some bad blood that permeates their reunion. The pair is joined by the hospice nurse, Ace (Gilbert Owuor), who imparts some wisdom about life and even more so about death onto Cal in particular. Ace looks after their father at the ranch, making him as comfortable as possible as he leaves this life for the next. The other person featured prominently is Valentina (Kimberly Guerrero), a woman who comes to the ranch to cook and clean periodically for their father. These four characters each deal with the certainty of death for the father in different ways and the past is drudged up often.
The plot of Montana Story isn’t anything new; estranged siblings reconnect over the death of a parent. However, Montana Story stands out largely due to the performances of Teague and Lu Richardson. They fall easily into the rhythm of siblings, each of them dealing with the grief of the impending loss in their own ways. Reconciling their past is a painful process but a necessary one that they embark on towards the end of the movie. Their journey is heightened by the cinematography of Giles Nuttgens who fills the frame with the monstrous wonder of the vastness of the landscape. Teague and Lu Richardson are often swallowed up by the backdrop, their frames merely silhouettes against a never ending sky. Nuttgens captures the beauty of the scenery to perfection.
Montana Story is a slow burn, sometimes a bit too slow for its own good. But Teague and Lu Richardson carry the film with their chemistry. The resolution at the end is predictable but satisfying, making this one worth a watch.
You’ll like this film if:
1. You like neo-Westerns
2. You like familial dramas
3. You like slow burns
