Good evening, readers (or substitute the appropriate time of day for you!). Again thanks to the pleasant reality of On Demand and the film still being a new release/pre-DVD carryover from 2014, here is this review of the Terrence Malick-produced indie drama, “The Better Angels”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
This film, representing the writing and directorial debut of editor A.J. Edwards (“The New World“, “Knight of Cups“), takes us to 1817 Indiana and into the back woods home of Tom and Nancy Lincoln (Jason Clarke and Brit Marling) as we are provided, specifically, with the childhood journey of an 8-year old Abe Lincoln (Braydon Denney). A poorer family, Tom is a strict but hard-working, loving father and husband, yet we see that the quiet and distant Abe is much more drawn to his mother. Her equally quiet manner and spiritual guidance mold Abe over the months portrayed until water poisoning on the surrounding land causes a heartbreaking loss. Not content to be alone, Tom leaves his children for Kentucky, until ultimately returning with his new wife, the widow Sarah (Diane Kruger), and her two children. It is then a focus on her influence on Abe being sent off to a local school, where his gifted, intellectual nature is given even more chance to shine, much to the delight of his teacher, Mr. Crawford (Wes Bentley), who in speaking with both Tom and Sarah, predicts that Abe will be destined for greater things. With approval and affirmation finally coming from his father and strengthened by his new stepmom, we know that the teacher’s words could not be truer.
Subtle yet powerful, understated yet potent, the film captures an essence about the very nature and demeanor of Abraham Lincoln that we are not accustomed to viewing, as most films tend to only touch his childhood in favor of focusing on the grown man and his Presidency. The story, in all its stark yet beautiful black and white presentation (thank you, Terrence Malick), delivers a very surreal and atmospheric look at the fact it was ultimately the women in young Abe’s life that helped him become the man he would. Jason Clarke gives us an excellent performance as Tom Lincoln, a hearty farmer and woodsman who has a steely nerve and drive to provide for his family. As the respective mothers in Abe’s life, Brit Marling and Diane Kruger also provide purposefully subdued performances that actually lend weight to the principals they instill in him. And Braydon Denney really brings Abe to life wonderfully while having almost no actual dialogue throughout, rather showing us Abe as that withdrawn, set apart, humble kid whose a fount of intelligence waiting to have the right moment to truly shine. The narration, told from Abe’s cousin’s perspective, adds another element of subtle emotional connectivity to the picture as well. Relevant imagery of the times along with simple landscapes and people-centered moments brings character to the film, and a solid orchestral score rounds it out. “The Better Angels” stands as another shining example of independent film and the character-driven tales they so often bring us.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
