****
Living off-grid in a vast forest, Tom and her father have a quiet but happy existence. One day, a small mistake puts their way of life in jeopardy...
Today, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a part of public consciousness - no longer is it a shameful thing, but something that we, as a society, openly discuss and try to understand. Take BBC's record-breaking Bodyguard as an example - our central protagonist is suffering the effects of the life and experiences he endured in conflict and, at the show's conclusion, PTSD charities hoped that other sufferers would feel empowered to come forward and receive help. This is just one of the many on-screen depictions of PTSD in recent years, and now Leave No Trace can be added to that catalogue. However, the decision to view the world through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old girl (newcomer Thomasin McKenzie) makes this exploration into the aftermath of war a far more subtle and delicate affair. In fact, Will's (an excellent Ben Foster) PTSD is never explicitly stated, although there are numerous indications. It's a tender and beautifully executed depiction of a man battling with unspoken demons whilst trying to make sense of the world, the needs of his daughter and their changing relationship.
Opening with a half-hour section that's almost silent, we are immediately plunged into the world of Tom and her father. Remote and self-reliant, the pair do everything together, holding 'drills' to prevent being discovered by 'the outside world'. To begin with, it seems like an idyllic existence, but soon the cracks begin to show. Directing these initial sequences with a deft hand, director Debra Granik allows us to observe unobtrusively, never guiding us to make a predetermined assessment or conclusion about what we're seeing, which works entirely to the film's credit. Even the delicate, ethereal soundtrack remains minimal throughout, never persuading us to feel or think a certain thing. In this respect, it is an intelligent and thought-provoking film, but the lack of answers and clear line between what is right and wrong may frustrate some viewers - there is very little, if any, explanation. Instead, we watch as our solitary pair try to navigate the wilderness, social services and communities they never expected to find themselves in.
Undoubtedly, however, the main strength of the film is the central performances. As a girl in the strange, liminal space between child and adolescent, Thomasin McKenzie excels - at times she is wide-eyed and terrified, looking to her father for guidance, whilst at other points she is the driving force, wanting to incorporate herself into community life. In an especially touching and understated moment, she tells her father 'The same thing that's wrong with you isn't wrong with me'. Opposite her, Ben Foster is the stoic, silent sufferer, clearly at war with himself as much as he is the world around him. It's a brilliant performance, peppered with considered looks and idiosyncratic movements that are quietly painful. Speaking and moving only in a calm manner, Foster curates the trauma of Will through his silences and steadfast determination (or is it 'obsession'?) to return to the wilderness.
An understated, quiet film that raises more questions than it answers, Leave No Trace is a moving and poignant piece about the relationship between a father and daughter. Wisely choosing to 'show' instead of 'tell' us, Debra Granik creates a space in which we are encouraged make up our own minds about the scenarios and situations before us, which makes it a film to ponder long after the credits have finished.
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