westerns are not usually high on the see-list for me
too much red-neck, racist, sexist, self-righteous elitism
but this one does read well and has one big appealing factor
filmed largely in the mackenzie country of nz - a faux colorado
see it on a big screen advised several times in some pre-see reviews
beauty - on this night it's on one of the bigger screens at the multiplex
and as usual - a handful of patrons so centre seat, centre row - all set
young jay cavendish seen lying on his back admiring stars at night
naming them out loud - so he is intelligent, scottish - and alone
next seen on horseback plodding through rural colorado (nz)
a voiceover and flashback advising he came from scotland
in pursuit of rose - the love of his life - here with her father
gunshots and a native american being pursued by 3 soldiers
the senior one stops to question jay - and then is shot dead
silas (michael fassbender) has crept up and taken him out
admonishes jay for his naivety and agrees to chaperone him
money changes hands and they ride off to continue the quest
first stop - provisions - but interrupted by an armed holdup
a desperate (swedish) immigrant couple enter the store
the owner shoots the husband, the wife shoots the owner
jay shoots the wife (in the back) they grab goods and leave
outside - 2 now-orphaned young blonde swedish kids - sad
jay now well introduced to the brutal reality of this country
they continue - west - silas has taken a poster from the store
announcing a large reward for the capture of rose and her dad
so he now more than happy to have jay lead him right to them
having set up the story we now go with the duo across country
some strange encounters - a trio of gospel singing west africans
and some stunning scenery - rivers, mountains, forests, plains
yep - definitely nz - captured in bright sunlight with blue skies
the cinematography right up front - thankful for the big screen
i'm now feeling quite warm and fuzzy about this strange film
there's another gang of bounty-hunters on the prowl also
mean looking dudes - lead by payne (ben mendelsohn)
he tries to look menacing but comes across as misplaced
intentionally so no doubt - encounters with his gang farcical
so humour in the mix also - this film is not to be taken seriously
the big climax - rose and her father in a small house on a plain
surrounded by a wheat field - silas ties up jay for protection
he knows this is going to be ugly - a convergence of greed
a precision sniper shoots the father as silas runs to the house
he then shot twice by the sniper and then the gang arrives
rose starts shooting - it's on - jay escapes and runs to her
she shoots him as he enters the house - no recognition
as he lays dying she embraces him and gives him a gun
shoot me - instead he shoots past her and takes out payne
phew - the baddies all dead - silas survives as does rose
the final scene - he and rose playing parents to the orphans
i'm sitting there with a smile on my dial - a happy ending
simple stuff really with no need or point in deep analysis
writer/director john maclean presumably now indulged
looks like he made the western he always wanted to
kind of fun really with the scenery being the star
and the brutality of the west hit home also...ok
