User reviews

"Heart of Wilderness" is a frustrating film. This is because the acting and direction are all very nice. But the story itself has issues-- such as characters you don't really care about as well as an ending that doesn't seem to feel very complete.

The film is about a low-life who steals money from other low-lifes. His wife doesn't realize this nor does she know that when they go on a seemingly ill-planned canoing trip (it's still freezing outside there in northern Minnesota). His plan is to take the canoe into the middle of the wilderness and disappear--otherwise bad people will eventually come looking for him.

As I said above, the characters aren't particularly likable. The main character isn't just a thief but he's cranky throughout the film-- too cranky and you have no idea WHY the woman sticks with him. I talked to others who saw the film and they, too, thought this made it tough to feel engaged with the movie.

I guess I really have no idea what happened! The main had a secret to his wife, which was the money. OK I get that, but the summary mentioned the wife had a secret of her own, but I missed it whatever it is. And the ending, well it lost me. What happened? Maybe I was distracted doing something else, but I just missed whatever happened I guess, and that included watching the ending 3 times.

Its a minimalist relationship drama with aspects of a Thriller. The acting is strong, the cinematography is great, the plot is bare bones. It borrows heavily from "Winter's Bone" but on a smaller scale. An unseen drug deal goes wrong. The main character "Travis" fearing for his life attempts to flee town with his wife without telling her why. Don't go into the film expecting a gritty crime drama. The main drama is between husband and wife who may have gotten in over their head. The tension is strong and the tone is bleak, but the film has little action. Its a movie with long beats design to make audiences think and worry. This can result in scenes that go on too long.

A hauntingly beautiful picture, "Heart of Wilderness" will leave you wanting more. This film is both thrilling and touching. The characters are round and interesting with unique motivations that are kept unclear. I would love to see this film get more wide-spread acclaim.

The cinematography is gorgeous. I love the scenery of Northern Minnesota. I also really liked the acting performances. The actors seemed really genuine.

If you're looking for beautifully-shot picture with a compelling twist ending, this is the movie for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and will be closely following the careers of the crew members.