Across the River and Into the Trees Review: Liev Schreiber’s Restrained Turn Anchors Hemingway Adaptation

Across the River and Into the Trees is a 2024 adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel, led by Liev Schreiber as a terminally ill American colonel on a reflective weekend in Venice. Schreiber’s performance is the film’s central draw, though calling it his “best” is a subjective career-wide judgment rather than a verifiable fact. For viewers drawn to quiet literary dramas and Venice’s atmosphere, it may be worth a look; those expecting a sharply paced war story may find its approach less satisfying.

What is Across the River and Into the Trees about?

Set in Italy during the Second World War, the film follows American Army Colonel Richard Cantwell, who is facing terminal illness. He plans a quiet weekend that includes what may be his final duck-hunting trip and a visit to places he remembers in Venice. Meeting young countess Renata Contarini changes the course of those plans. The story brings mortality, old memories and a developing relationship into the same reflective frame.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Across The River and Into The Trees [DVD]	$14.62	Buy on Amazon
2		Across The River and Into The Trees	$3.99	Buy on Amazon
3		Across The River And Into The Trees DVD | Region 4 (Australia)	$22.21	Buy on Amazon
4		Across the River and Into the Trees	$13.99	Buy on Amazon
5		Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees	$9.71	Buy on Amazon

Schreiber plays Cantwell, Matilda De Angelis plays Renata, and Josh Hutcherson plays Jackson. Danny Huston and Laura Morante are also among the credited cast.

Does Liev Schreiber give his best performance?

That claim is best understood as a critical opinion, not an established fact. The available evidence does not settle how this role compares with Schreiber’s full career, and a persuasive “best performance” verdict depends on close viewing of his choices in the film. What makes Cantwell an interesting role is its tension: he is a military officer confronting his own end, moving through a city saturated with personal memory while a new connection complicates his planned farewell.

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The film’s reception reflects different expectations. A Rotten Tomatoes audience response describes Schreiber’s work as nuanced, while another viewer calls the story dark and vague; those are individual reactions, not representative audience findings. Devon Webb of Spectrum Culture wrote on September 16, 2024, that De Angelis “steals the show from her Hollywood co-stars.” That provides a useful counterpoint: the film’s emotional center need not belong to Cantwell alone.

How does the film use Venice?

Venice is more than a backdrop to Cantwell’s weekend; its atmosphere is part of the film’s appeal. Brian Tallerico’s September 2, 2024 review for RogerEbert.com praised the production’s use of natural light and handheld cameras to evoke the city’s distinctive energy. That critical response points to a visual approach suited to a story concerned with beginnings and endings, though it does not guarantee that every viewer will find the result compelling.

Rank #2

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The official production credits list Javier Aguirresarobe as cinematographer, Jose Tirado as production designer, and Stuart Baird and Kate Baird as editors. Those credits identify the principal craftspeople behind the film’s visual and editorial construction; they are not, by themselves, a verdict on the finished work.

How was the adaptation received?

Critics did not agree on whether the film’s measured approach succeeds. Tallerico’s comments on Venice offer a positive reading of its atmosphere, while Rex Reed wrote in the Observer on September 3, 2024: “Liev Schreiber and Venice can’t save this lifeless adaptation of Hemingway’s least beloved work.” The contrast captures the divide between viewers who respond to the film’s mood and those who find its dramatic execution inert.

Rank #3

Across The River And Into The Trees DVD | Region 4 (Australia)

• Liev Schreiber, Matilda De Angelis, Josh Hutcherson, Danny Huston, Paula Ortiz

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Rotten Tomatoes displayed an 82% Tomatometer from 17 reviews and a 79% Popcornmeter from 50+ ratings as of October 4, 2026. These are the site’s scores at that date, not permanent measures of quality; both the figures and the underlying totals can change.

Is the film based on a book, and how long is it?

Yes. The film adapts Ernest Hemingway’s novel, with a screenplay by Peter Flannery and direction by Paula Ortiz. It runs 1 hour and 46 minutes, according to Rotten Tomatoes and Apple TV.

Rank #4

Across the River and Into the Trees

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Release details

Rotten Tomatoes lists a limited US theatrical release on August 30, 2024. That date is specific to the United States; international release timing differed. The film is listed on digital platforms, but availability depends on territory and can change. Retail listings have also surfaced DVD and Blu-ray editions, so check the listing for the format and region you need.

Quick Recap

SaleBestseller No. 1

Across The River and Into The Trees [DVD]

DVD

$14.62

Bestseller No. 2

Across The River and Into The Trees

$3.99

Bestseller No. 3

Across The River And Into The Trees DVD | Region 4 (Australia)

Liev Schreiber, Matilda De Angelis, Josh Hutcherson, Danny Huston, Paula Ortiz

$22.21

Bestseller No. 4

Across the River and Into the Trees

$13.99

SaleBestseller No. 5

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees

$9.71

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