The River

What would you do for freedom?

A shy teenaged boy is sent to live on his estranged father on a ranch in the Amazon basin. The ranch's real business is timber which comes from the deforestation of the jungle around ranch. The father's timber business may be legal, but, in the words of one of the characters, it's also "cruel."

And, of course, so is the father. He doesn't care what happens when the timber is gone or the animals in the ecosystem they serve die. He sees the natural world as a thing to be conquered. He doesn't even care about the vast river. He prefers a swimming pool.

But, when the son arrives, things begin to change.

The director takes his time with the action, which moves at a slow and languid pace. He wants us to both enjoy the (gorgeous) scenery and be afraid of it. And then he shows us the series of small decisions people can make that change their lives forever.

I liked it.