Z FOR ZACHARIAH (Craig Zobel). 97 minutes. Opens Friday (August 28). Rating: NNNN
Where to watch: iTunes
Post-apocalyptic settings are commonplace these days, but few such movies are as quiet, thoughtful and free of CGI as Craig Zobel’s Z For Zachariah.
In a valley mysteriously untouched by the nuclear disaster that’s wiped out most of the country, the scrappy Ann (Margot Robbie) and her dog live alone on a farm. Into this paradise stumbles Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor), whose engineering background soon helps the farm thrive.
He even concocts a plan to use a nearby waterfall to power a generator, but it would require wood, and the only available source is the nearby chapel where Ann’s father used to preach.
The science vs. religion theme is rich, and Robbie and Ejiofor develop a lovely rhythm as their relationship – will it become physical? – evolves.
When Chris Pine’s weaselly, manipulative Caleb enters the scene, the pair’s dynamic is thrown off. But it leads to an intriguing and fascinating final reel.
The actors are terrific, especially Ejiofor, a master at suggesting conflicting emotions. And Zobel captures this Edenic landscape (it was filmed partly in New Zealand, partly in West Virginia) with a poet’s eye.
