Wildfire (2019)

• Based on the novel of the same name by Richard Ford. 
• The Directorial debut of actor Paul Dano, he does a great job, the script was adapted by the director and his long time partner Zoe Kazan. 
• \Set in the Great Falls Montana area in 1960, it's a gift to a filmmaker to have a period setting in a place like small town Montana, it makes location scouting easier as so much of that area still looks like it might have 60 years ago. 
• This is the story of the break up of blue collar marriage told through the eyes of the 14 year old son, played by Ex Oxenbould who does a great, understated job. You really get the sense of the emotional sensitivity of this kid, how he has grown up with these antenna always on, ever alert to the mood in his parents relationships. He wants more then anything to keep stability and piece. 
• Jack Gyllenhaal is great as usual as the dad, but this is Cary Mulligan's film. Mulligan's always great to begin with but here she is Oscar caliber. As she comes apart, and makes reckless decisions in the absence of her husband, who has gone away to fight forest fires, her performance is at times almost hypnotizing, you can't keep your eyes off  her and impending disaster. 
• Excellent. ****