Nashville Film Festival 2022: Alta Valley Is an Entertaining Addition to the Modern Western Genre

Equal parts western and action with a dramatic flair, Alta Valley is a spiraling, fast paced story with some pointed social commentary.

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Equal parts western and action with a dramatic flair and some pointed social commentary, Alta Valley had its world premiere at The Franklin Theatre back on October 1st as apart of the festivities for the 53rd annual Nashville Film Festival.

The film follows Lupe (Briza Covarrubias) as she seeks help for her ailing mother. A chance encounter with Maddy (Allee Sutton Hethcoat) at a pawn shop gets Lupe into some trouble she wouldn’t have otherwise been in, and the two find themselves trying to outrun a gang guns-a-blazing. Lupe gains an audience with Carl (Micah Fitzgerald), a landowner who she believes can help her out, and we’re off to the races in a spiraling, fast-paced story.

It’s a beautiful movie from an aesthetic standpoint. Stylistically, director (and writer) Jesse Edwards worked in some big sweeping shots of sunsets and the open desert, really making the setting apart of the fabric of the film. There were plenty of big shiny belt buckles, cowboy boots, and six shooters, but I found the costume design for Fitzgerald’s Carl to be particularly effective in making him feel like a grimy, dirty, low-down sonofabitch. Alta Valley dedicated moments to celebrating Native American culture, but also provided some sharp commentary on how Native Americans are treated to this day. I thought the scene with Lupe locked up in a closet somewhere while the rednecks were outside shooting fireworks on the 4th of July was a particularly strong metaphor for this. It’s a western that says something, and that feels refreshing for the genre.

For me, the main criticism of this flick is how much the story really spirals out of control. I don’t hate the idea of the twists and turns this story takes, but in a run time of 105 minutes, there’s not a lot of time to dedicate to a plot that turns out to be as intricate and sprawling as this one. This feels like something that would play out amazingly in novel form. Briza Covarrubias and Allee Sutton Hethcoat were great, and the chemistry between Lupe and Maddy gave the story an interesting spark. But, I can’t help feeling like the execution didn’t match the grand ambition and vision of what could’ve been with this story. Alta Valley bites off more than it can chew from a plot standpoint, but there’s still plenty to love about this entertaining addition to the genre.

For a different take on Alta Valley, check out friend Sean Atkins’ review at 615 Film. For more on the Nashville Film Festival, follow them on Twitter and check out their website here.

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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