Debra Granik’s new film, “Leave No Trace,” adapted from the 2009 novel, My Abandonment by Peter Rock, combines elements of “Winter’s Bone” and “Stray Dog,” the young girl off the grid, the troubled veteran living with PTSD.
“Leave No Trace” is, at times, heartbreaking, but it’s also filled with glimpses of almost casual human kindness, throwaway moments of good will and inclusion piercing through what could be the bleakest of tales. Granik shows great insight into the struggles of those who choose to “opt out,” those who just want to be left alone, those who literally can’t “fit in” to the larger world. At its very best, it is an immensely moving portrait of a father and daughter who love each other, and who can’t bear to be apart. Full Review …
Sheila O’Malley, www.rogerebert.com
Critic reviews
With Leave No Trace, the director Debra Granik demonstrates her gift for making cinematic spaces vibrantly, palpably alive. Full review…
Manohla Dargis, The NYTimes
It might not have the oomph of Winter’s Bone, but this is a sympathetic, affecting, beautifully realised portrait of lives lived on the margins. Full review…
Ian Freer, Empire
Well-acted and well-written, calmly presented, and moving, this drama has a ring of truth, despite its extraordinary story. Perhaps that’s because it was, after all, inspired by true events. Full review…
Michael Ordona, Common Sense Media