Film Review – Rebuilding

Writer/director Max Walker-Silverman attracted some attention with his work on 2022’s “A Love Song.” He found praise for his sensitive handling of characterization and performances, on the hunt for emotions and people typically ignored by major releases. His indie heart remains beating in “Rebuilding,” which continues his journey into intimate storytelling, this time examining the worries of a cowboy who’s lost his ranch to a ferocious wildfire, left to rebuild his life with little to show for his work. It’s a timely tale of displacement, though Walker-Silverman isn’t making a disaster picture, willing to explore a human response to catastrophe. “Rebuilding” has every opportunity to slip into melodramatic extremes, but the helmer has no interest in overcooking the material. He goes mournful and oddly peaceful instead, creating a lovely understanding of resilience and community in a tender film that’s gracefully made. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com