Somewhere In Montana Written and Directed by Brandon Smith

Somewhere in MontanaWritten and Directed by Brandon SmithStarring Graham McTavish, Matt Drago, Michelle Hurd, Kaleigh Macchio Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutesIn theaters January 10by Ryan Silberstein, Managing EditorMovies are one of my favorite ways to travel. A film can take me somewhere on Earth I’ve never been or even heard of previously–or somewhere outside our reality entirely. One way I like to travel by film is also to revisit places I’ve been previously and loved. In Bruges (2008) is one I love watching even more after visiting the real life location, and I will watch Before Sunset (2004) or Midnight in Paris (2011) when I am feeling nostalgic for the City of Lights. So when Somewhere in Montana came through, I jumped at the chance to spend some more time in a state I loved visiting a little over 5 years ago. As a lifelong East Coaster, there is something magical and almost unreal about the American West. It has informed my love of the genre and reinforced how awe-inspiring the landscapes of this continent can be. I know that watching a movie about a place is about as authentic as a walk through EPCOT, but that psychological connection still exists. Somewhere in Montana sees John (Graham McTavis) a ranch owner who is ‘land rich but cash poor’ rent his land out to the production of a Hollywood movie on the encouragement of his daughter (Kaleigh Macchio). Once director Fabain (Matt Drago) arrives, however, John finds himself resentful of the production, and the two butt heads over the course of the story like stubborn bulls. This is a good premise for any number of genres, from western to romantic comedy. Writer-director Brandon Smith has chosen to tell this story in the melodramatic mode, but some particular choices hamper the film’s effectiveness. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-fierce-female-network--6418822/support.