Uno di noi

Great casting, cinematography, sets and location, but novice writer and director Thomas Bezucha made this one a very unnecessarily slow burner. The 113 runtime was way too long for this story, and felt twice as long with the slow pacing, long dragged out scenes and unnecessary still shots. If you watched this at 1.2x speed, it'd be bearable. The screenplay needed a good 20-30 mins edited/cut out. The sound/score could've also been better. Not sure if it was Costner's character, or he was bored during filming, because this wasn't one of his finest performances - by a long shot. Never mind all the bogus 9's and 10's, this is an honest and very generous 6/10 from me.

Like many I'm a BIG Costner fan. This one could easily have been a rugged but amiable Western drama, but, like the moth flying close to the flame it gets tinged by inflexions of horror - a disquieting experience for the unwary. The plot has at its center the 'kidnap by marriage' of aged Margaret and George's grandson, goaded on by another interestingly psychotic family of near in-laws, resembling to no small degree the Snell Family of Netflix's 'Ozark', though this time featuring North Dakota as that bastion of redneck eccentricity. On the good side, it's a terrifyingly real situation, acted out charmingly by Kevin Costner with his trademark reserve. But the movie was a little long, with those now clichéd tropes, the sort that better directors do well to avoid.

This story is dark in many ways, but at the heart of it are two grieving grandparents (badass grandparents though) who want to save their toddler grandson from terrible criminals. Complex and thoughtful, it's the perfect mix of drama and suspense. Kevin Costner and Diane Lane are amazing. This is a finely drawn drama with high stakes tension.

Both Costner and Lane are among our favorites, it is hard to find either of them in a bad or even lackluster role. Here they are a long time couple, he is a retired law enforcement professional. Set in the early 1960s, they live on a small horse ranch in Montana, they have a married adult son and a small grandson. In an unfortunate riding accident their son dies, the D. I. L. Remarries a couple of years later. Then the newlyweds leave town suddenly and without saying goodbye.

Turns out the new husband is abusive and is part of an evil bunch in North Dakota. The grandparents want to protect their grandson, they know he is not safe, they go to find him. The evil family does not cooperate. The first half is kinda slow as things build, the second half has more action than the grandparents planned for.

Interesting story, the movie is very well made. My wife and I watched it on DVD from our public library.

This was like watching Father Knows Best (salty version) meets MA Barker and her boys! It was a good story that moved along well with the beautiful backdrop of the mountains of the west. There was pathos and you connected with the characters. I like watching a movie geared towards 50+ year olds! Make more.