Hydraulic fracturing of rock beneath the earth doesn’t exactly sound like lively material to comprise a movie from, not to mention it effects on small town crop growing. Regardless, the new film “Promised Land” uses that subject matter to craft as dynamic a tale as one could hope for, resulting in an imperfect, but generally decent drama that should carry the interest of more than just farmers.
The story follows corporate salespersons Steve (Matt Damon) and partner Sue (Francis McDormand) as they attempt to buy up natural gas drilling (also known as “fracking”) rights in a poor, rural county. However, their plans are complicated by a science teacher (Hal Holbrook) concerned about the effects of fracking on farmland, and the efforts of an environmental campaigner (John Krasinski) out to thwart Steve’s sales pitches.
As expected, the cast are excellent. There’s great rapport between the co-workers Steve and Sue. When they steer off topic and make observations about the farmsteads around them, it’s hilarious. The battle between Steve and environmentalist Dustin leads to some interesting confrontations. Additionally, their speeches and tactics they use to sell their viewpoints are fascinating to witness.
And, while the film has an obvious bias, it tries not to be too overbearing in its politics. Steve isn’t an evil salesman out for blood and has a relatable motivation for his actions – the character honestly believes that his hard selling techniques, down the road, will ultimately be for the greater benefit of the townspeople.
Despite the solid performances and well written characters, the movie settles for a weak final act that follows a less-than-surprising plot twist. Audiences will find the sting leaving many questions about the apparent ignorance of an otherwise intelligent central character. Steve’s conflicted feelings and actions that at several points frustrate locals also are resolved in too neat and tidy a manner. It’s well established early on that the fracking issue is a complicated one, and it would have benefited the film if the characters faced equally thorny and uncomfortable questions in the resolutions of their personal interactions.
Still, this is a well made film that draws attention to an issue that isn’t likely to get a lot of Hollywood notice otherwise. It may not be an awards contender, but it’s a solid movie with good intentions.