Promised Land (2012, Dir. Gus Van Sant, USA/UAE) (Cert: 15/R) ***

 

Starring: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand

 

Steve Butler (Damon) and Sue Thomason (McDormand) work for a large industrial company that specialises in drilling underground for natural gas. Their work takes them to a small rural down with a dying tradition of agriculture but with large deposits of natural gas that the company could use and inject large amounts of money into the town’s economy. At first, the town seems largely onboard with the idea; however, a local science teacher (Hal Holbrook), the town mayor (Ken Strunk) and a visiting environmentalist (Krasinski) all have concerns of their own.

 

Adapted from a story by Dave Eggers into a screenplay by John Kasinski and Matt Damon (Damon notably co-wrote the screenplay of Good Will Hunting (1997) with his co-star in that film, Ben Affleck whilst both films were also directed by Gus Van Sant), Promised Land is competently handled and has a feel for naturalistic dialogue and performances, wrapped around a fairly unoriginal story; that of the big-city big-shot coming to a small town with a condescending attitude and being influenced by these surroundings. Matt Damon’s an actor who comes across as instantly sympathetic, perhaps always destined to play the ‘good guy’; here, he’s a complex character. On the one hand, cynical and all-for-profit and on the other, he has small-town roots and does have a definite conscience. This is nicely balanced by Frances McDormand playing the role of a single mother away from her family; still a professional (moreso than Damon in fact) but more likable and sympathetic. Where the characterisations fall down is Damon’s interactions with John Krasinski. Krasinski performs perfectly fine and manages to be good rival but the problem is, even as he’s supposed seen as the more agreeable character, he comes across as obnoxious, though this is justified by the subsequent events in the plot. It’s also jarring that in a film that seems to present itself as anti-corporate there is a lot of un-ironic displays of brands (Bud Light, Chevrolet, Microsoft…) Promised Land isn’t a remarkable film and doesn’t present you with anything new, but it’s a perfectly decent film.