If you’re expecting another of Matt Damon‘s big budget productions this isn’t it…
PROMISED LAND is a small, low budget morality play that’s co-written and co-produced by Damon in which he plays a corporate salesman for “Global,” a mega fracking company that attempts to aquire land drilling rights for the controversial process.
FRACKING?
That’s the process of drilling for gas very deep (and sideways) into the ground with pressurized water and chemicals used to release the precious product.
Damon along with Frances McDormand are dispatched to the depressed community of McKinley where they’re now going door to door to obtain drilling rights and make the locals rich in the process.
Everyone has their price, right?
Well, yes and no.
Respected elder school teacher Hal Holbrook for one tries to caution the good folks of the small burg. But things seem to progress just as hoped for by Damon and McDorman. There’s even a touch of romance coming to light between Damon and Freulein Rosemarie DeWitt.
That is until slick activist John Krasinski (who also co-wrote and co-produced the movie) suddenly shows up in town preaching the evils and dangers of fracking to the almost broke locals. And he’s driving matters to the boiling point.
But there’s quite the twist ending to all of this which I sure didn’t see coming. Hint: KRASINSKI!
Bottom line, an interesting environmental (preaching?) play of ethics and moral conflict. Shades of ERIN BROCKOVICH maybe?
Just don’t set your expectations too high and you’ll come away pretty well satisfied, as I did.
PROMISED LAND directed by Gus Van Sant opens citywide to 3 out of 5 fracking fingers.
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