Finally, a proper marriage of drama and meaning. Isn't this what film should be in our time?
Over the decades and with different styles and treatments, filmmakers have risen above mere entertainment to bring a message in the context of popular art. It's almost a genre, but let's not go there. Let's simply take the film on its own merit.
Although the social issues addressed here, the disproportionate incarceration rates of people of color, the legality of harmless recreational drugs, and the roiling of family structures under the oppression of a dysfunctional society, will hopefully be transcended in a brighter future world, the ambiguous interplay of right and wrong, legally and morally, will never go out of style as the foundation of art.
Grassland checks all the boxes of storyline validity, visual attractiveness, and, especially, dramatic performance by a skilled ensemble. No one stands out, and everyone stands out. There is a level of tension throughout that never pauses. It is exhausting, but that is not a fault, it is a commendation. This film was not made to sell popcorn. Looking forward to anything by this production group.
