Night Moves

Writer/Director Kelly Reichardt ("Wendy and Lucy") brings us yet another downbeat cautionary tale, this time about environmental activism in the Pacific Northwest as we follow a trio of high-minded (e.g., radical) tree huggers who are opposed to affluence. They are outraged that there are 19 golf courses in Bend, Oregon, so they plan to blow up a hydroelectric dam.

Our 2014 Seattle International Film Festival screening audience watched:

• Peter Sarsgaard ("Blue Jasmine") a former Marine and ex-con, who brings his explosives expertise into play. He doesn't trust the girl...
• Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network") is a dour sourpuss who lives on a collective farm outside Ashland, Oregon. At first he is just morose, then he is paranoid morose, then sad morose, then lonely morose. I think he just ends up morose again...
• Dakota Fanning ("The Twilight Saga") is their shill who buys the boat and then the ammonium nitrate for the explosives. She lives at a health spa where people casually stroll around naked and soak in medicinal waters. She is derailed by an unexpected tragedy.

This moody thriller has collected awards (Grand Prize - Deauville Film Festival 2013; Best Cinematographer - Valladolid International Film Festival 2013) but I found it tedious. Although it WAS fun to see Ashland, Oregon, which I visit each year for the Shakespeare Festival, so I recognized the bean-sprout sensibility, the clothing and the Saturday market.

BTW: Night Moves is the name of the boat they use to plant the explosives.

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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2773330457/
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