Review: Leave No Trace

Image courtesy of Bleecker Street Media.

With "Leave No Trace," director Debra Granik tells another gripping story about people living on the margins in a part of America that is rarely captured on film. The picture marks her first feature in eight years - her previous one being 2010's terrific "Winter's Bone," which featured a breakout performance by Jennifer Lawrence that is matched by an excellent turn in her latest by another young woman, Thomasin MacKenzie.

In the film, Tom (McKenzie) and her father, Will (Ben Foster), live in a tent in a national park somewhere outside of Portland, Oregon. As the film opens, the two of them are taking part in a drill, which involves hiding amid the leaves and dodging park rangers. Tom and Will live in a shelter that they have constructed and where they do everything from cook to play chess. Nothing is said about Tom's mother, nor the exact circumstances as to why they are technically homeless. But their existence in the park feels less like the result of some tragedy, and more of a choice.

Although little detail is given regarding Will's military service, it is ever-present as he wakes up startled at night to the sound of helicopters or is incapable of dealing with strangers, even when they are attempting to be nice to him. He has withdrawn from society, and it is likely due to what he has seen at war. And yet, his relationship with his 13-year-old daughter is completely functional. In other words, he takes care of her and isn't off the deep end.

On the other hand, the park rangers and child protective services - when they finally catch up with the duo - seem to think otherwise. Tom and Will are kept at a facility and then taken to a home, where they are allowed to live together, in exchange for Will's helping cut Christmas trees - it is the Pacific Northwest, mind you - while Tom idles around and becomes friends with a local boy whose pet bunny rabbit fascinates the teenage girl. But eventually Will makes a decision about the pair's circumstances that lead them to various situations elsewhere, some challenging and others displaying the milk of human kindness.

Foster gives a tense performance as Will, a man who trusts no one outside his daughter and whose past is written all over his face. McKenzie's portrayal of Tom is a star-making performance and a difficult one to pull off. This is a girl who knows little about human interaction, at least seemingly since we know little about her upbringing, and McKenzie does a great job of creating a character whose interactions with others are slightly awkward due to the circumstances in which she has obviously lived for some time.

Much like "Winter's Bone," Granik once again provides a fascinating glimpse into a way of life that isn't often seen in American films. She is among the few filmmakers - despite her infrequency behind the camera - in keeping the regional micro-indie alive. And cinematographer Michael McDonough makes great use of Oregon and Washington's gorgeous wooded areas.

The film ends on a powerful note and one that seems inevitable, considering Will's constant need to move on and Tom's growing into young womanhood. It's a film that straddles the line between being gloomy and hopeful, and its ending captures that state of being beautifully.