MOVIE REVIEW: Brown’s Canyon
I really love movies like Brown’s Canyon, the latest feature from Seattle filmmaker John Helde.
Brown’s Canyon is ostensibly about two women (Allison and Stephi, played by Jenn Ruzumna and Lisa Every, respectively) planning a wellness retreat in Middle of Nowhere, UT for a weekend. They are joined by Pat, a mentor to Allison and photographer. She’s played by Sara Thiessen. It gets complicated and awkward when Allison’s husband Thom and his friend Billy (Carter Rodriquez and Eric Jordan, respectively) show up unannounced. The whole thing goes to hell quickly with the uninvited guests, and an even more uninvited landslide that forces the five characters inside, unable to escape the realities of the lives they made and how they present them to the world. It didn’t take long for people to stop being polite and start getting real.
Brown’s Canyon is very much an actor’s film in two regards: the strength of the film is largely due to the great performances from each person in the cast, but also because the actors clearly have an impact in shaping their character and the film. The press notes say that Helde didn’t start with a script, only the cast. I think it’s similar to how Mike Leigh makes his films.
Watching Brown’s Canyon felt like an act of voyeurism. The five characters were in a situation outside of their control, forced to reckon with the secrets and lies they tell each other, and themselves. There is also some unexpected humor that helps break the tension at times. When an actor can say, with a straight face, “With mindful eating, for example, it could take us five minutes to eat one bite of food,” it’s the stuff Oscars should be made of.
{Brown’s Canyon plays at the Northwest Film Forum on Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20. Director and cast scheduled to attend. Tickets and more info can be found here.}
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