This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Family Values Gone Fishing
Plot Overview
In the backwoods of Michigan's
upper peninsula, survivalist Jacob “The Marsh King” Holbrook
(Ben Mendelsohn) teaches his ten-year-old daughter Helena (Brooklynn
Prince) to hunt while his woman (Caren Pistorius) minds the cabin
and cooks their kill—if any. The couple had run off together
to live this life, but she is forcibly prevented from returning, though
she tries sometimes. She lies saying she'd been abducted, the
way Helena (Daisy Ridley) will lie later in life about all her weird
tattoos, and to her husband Stephen Pelletier (Garrett Hedlund) about
her unconventional past. Once escaped this supposedly abducted woman will
marry Clark (Gil Birmingham) of real Indian blood, showing her fascination
with that life, though later she'll commit suicide indicating her inherent
dissatisfaction with any kind of life. A very troubled lady, that.
The movie skips ahead thirteen years. Helena dabs on makeup to cover
her facial tats, works on a computer terminal at the college, and
raises her daughter Marigold (Joey Carson) in the regular way. When
The Marsh King escapes prison, it makes the papers and the police
arrive looking for him. The cat has been let out of the bag, and Helena
fesses up about her past. Fearing her dad has designs on his
granddaughter, she makes an odyssey to the old cabin to confront
him and put her foot down, but things don't go as planned.
Ideology
The father's watchword is, “You must always protect your family,” but he seems to have trouble grasping that Helena's allegiance is to her husband & daughter more than to gramps on the lam. In retrospect The Marsh King seems more like a kook at odds with civilization. His Indian lore is faulty and he disregards many of the dominant conventions of society regarding things like: murder, kidnapping, supply raids, etc. The movie ignores what he was put away for, but it's for a long time and on different counts necessitating changing prisons from time to time, which gives him opportunity to escape.
(Prov. 17:12) “Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.” Under peril of swamp man snatching Marigold and disappearing with her into the wild, never to be seen again, Helena will do what needs to be done to protect her family. You wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Still, you would be better off there than being a guy who gets in his way or inconveniences him. He'd take you out without batting an eye.
Production Values
“” (2023) was directed by Neil Burger. It was written by Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith based on Karen Dionne's 2017 novel, The Marsh King's Daughter. It stars Daisy Ridley, Ben Mendelsohn and Brooklynn Prince. Strong acting compensated for the film being pared down from the book. Ridley's body language was reflective of her several dimensions. She also resembled Prince who played her younger part. Mendelsohn did a good job as a menacing philistine. Gil Birmingham as the Indian seemed more like an extra.
MPAA rated it R for violence. The cinematography
and soundscape were evocative of unspoiled nature. Editing was
gentle. The sedate pace led it right along. It was filmed in Alliston,
Ontario, Canada. Runtime is 1 hour 48 minutes.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
I found this movie pleasant to watch; it wasn't trying to be the book. The woods were pretty and pretty dangerous. The kids were cute as well as vulnerable. It would make good family viewing for adults.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Well done action flick. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Average special effects. Video Occasion: Good for Groups. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
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