It's mostly pretty good - well-acted and -directed, with a few interesting plot twists along the way - but the ending is far too safe and predictable for the film to register as very memorable. I should've figured that super-elitist liberals Damon and Krasinski would write a rather preachy and political script, but they could've (and should've) been more nuanced and subtle.

Still, Van Sant does a lot as essentially a director-for-hire, and it's generally engaging and funny. I just wish it was a bit more refined.

How is Rosemarie Dewitt?

She's fine, but doesn't have a huge part. And doesn't really do much except stare at Damon and Krasinski longingly.

Pretty good. Nice to see Kiefer in an early role.

That's unfortunate. I love her. I think she's terribly underrated.

I actually loved this. Matt Damon was absolutely excellent and I thought Hal Holbrook and Frances McDormand delivered standout supporting performances. I also loved Rosemarie DeWitt and thought she shared a nice, natural chemistry with Damon. Definitely worth seeing - it's a shame it's going largely unnoticed. A-

Man, I did not like this at all. It's a mediocre message movie undone by its stupid, stupid third act twist. THe more I think about that part the more annoyed I get.

McDormand is probably the best part of it all in a largely thankless role.

Intended both as an elegiac ode to the vanishing American family farm and as an earnest argument against the controversial energy-industry practice of using hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from the earth (and succeeding more as the former), Promised Land is a low-key and slight, but entertaining drama with a few distinct shortcomings, but also a noble purpose. Independent film icon Gus Van Sant, directing star and co-writer Matt Damon for the fourth time, captures the atmosphere and rhythm of rural life. His beautiful, melancholic, and mythic vision of the once great, now divided and troubled American farmland almost brings a tear to the eye. The visual and musical delights outpace a storyline defined by a halfhearted love triangle and a touching, yet still predictable central character arc (the ambitious, self-centered, and talented corporate predator's stone cold heart is softened and moved during his time among the salt of the earth), though top-notch performances by Damon, Frances McDormand, and the legendary Hal Holbrook help solidify the human drama to a certain extent. John Krasinski, however, is a shade out of his league, and a simplistic and strange third-act twist regarding his character further undermines his performance.

B

I thought the film and performances were great. Damon, McDormand, Holbrook, and the always lovely Rosemarie DeWitt are all very good, with McDormand probably being the standout. I think it's underrated.

8/10 (A-)