John Chester is a cinematographer and this film shows he’s a good one. The film is beautiful and he captures the magic of a farm space filled with animals and gorgeous flora. He knows how to make a film that is beautiful to watch. Families will especially appreciate seeing how all the animals and humans interact and thrive together.
But I struggled with the tonal shifts of the film. Chester starts out the film with a moment of high anxiety, a wildfire is approaching their farm. As a starting point this is brilliant. It sets up the stakes before he jumps back to the creation of the farm and outlines how the farm was built with the hard work of those on it. But then when the film reaches its climax the fire ends up being nothing (in terms of this story) and is summarily dropped, making the film’s end feel rather anti-climactic.
This is systematic of the way the whole film is constructed. Chester sets up crisis after crisis only to give us either a cursory solution and move on or drop it entirely and move on. It never feels like the story is being told organically. The film is beautiful but its story feels constructed and awkward.
But that might be because the point isn’t to tell a story. This isn’t made by a documentary film maker following an event and bringing that to an audience. This is made by the person living it sharing their joy and pain. Its more of a chronicle than a story and as that it works. As I said you route for them and appreciate their dream. But it doesn't make a convincing or persuasive story. Still it remains generally enjoyable despite the loose ends and dropped details.
The Biggest Little Farm
Starring: John Chester, Molly Chester
Director: John Chester
Writers: Mark Monroe, John Chester
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