By Paul Hall
Tragedy can be around any corner. What seems to be a totally normal and average life can be taken away in an instant, and in that same moment lives will change forever.
George (Kevin Costner) and Margaret Blackledge (Diane Lane) are living and working on their ranch and have recently welcomed their new grandson to the family. But when an accident leaves their daughter-in-law Lorna (Kayli Carter) a single mother, life takes an irreversible turn.
Lorna remarries, and George and Margaret do whatever they can to help with raising their grandson. But Lorna’s new life with Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain) is fraught with peril.
When Margaret goes to visit her grandson and finds the young family gone without a word of notice, she makes a life-changing decision to set out and find them, whether George joins her or not. As a former lawman, George reluctantly joins his wife on a road trip into the unknown to attempt to bring their grandson home at any cost. But can they handle what is waiting for them?
When George and Margaret finally encounter the rest of the Weboy clan, led by matriarch Blanche (Lesley Manville), they confront a tight-knit crew protecting the abusive Donnie. And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as this family puts a capital D in the word “dysfunction.”
Lane and Costner deliver strong performances as the grieving yet driven grandparents. You can feel George and Margaret’s pain as the actors have the uncanny ability to elicit those emotions within us.
The story places the couple in situations that amplify their performances, and when Manville joins the mix, the result is explosive. When Lane and Manville are onscreen together, they are the absolute best and will grab you and won’t let go without shaking you to your core.
Let Him Go is a hard film to watch. It is both dark and quiet and loud and stormy. I was riveted by the ugliness inside some people juxtaposed with the internal goodness of others. Though after working my way through the narrative, I still have hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, hope for more of the good and less of the drama in our daily lives as we go forward. And a renewed hope in movies as they return to theaters, to tell us stories that don’t always have happy endings, but still offer tales of love and devotion that transform the soul.
Paul’s Grade: B
Let Him Go
Rated R
Stars: Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Lesley Manville, Kayli Carter, Booboo Stewart
Director: Thomas Bezucha
