Directed by:
Tommy Lee JonesCinematography:
Rodrigo PrietoComposer:
Marco BeltramiCast:
Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter, John Lithgow, Jesse Plemons, Tim Blake Nelson, James Spader, William Fichtner (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
The Homesman is a thrilling testimony to the reality of life in the Wild West of colonial America. When three women living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by harsh pioneer life, the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Transporting the women by covered wagon to Iowa, she soon realises just how daunting the journey will be and employs a low-life drifter, George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones), to join her. The unlikely pair and the three women (Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter) head east, where a waiting minister and his wife (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in. But the group first must traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat. (Madman Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (3)
The rawest western in years. Slowly flowing, focusing mainly on character development and the careful and detailed building of the psychological minutiae of each twisted character. Tommy Lee Jones has this incredibly well in hand. This is also why I don't understand the lapses in editing and the unnecessary skipping of individual scenes, which were often clunky and distracting – though probably intentional. Similarly, the overly plodding pace is a shame. Watching two hours of sunsets is fine, but it's not enough, and it can have all the innovative depth and power with the typical western atmosphere of the uncompromising wild west it wants and it still is not enough. Hilary Swank, as always, rocks with her immediacy, and the twist towards the end of the film is quite shocking in a good way.
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An intimate melancholic western with a very human message that can surprise, strain and move the viewer. It's one of those films that makes you think about yourself while watching it, and you don't stop thinking about it even when it's over and the credits are long gone. Tommy Lee Jones is once again excellent behind and in front of the camera, and Hillary Swank is great, too... All the other roles are also perfectly cast. One wonders if it's not a "waste of acting material" to engage John Lithgow, James Spader, William Fichtner, Meryl Streep and others for just a few minutes. It's not.
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The western is still alive today and I'm really happy about it. My beloved genre needs resuscitation, and I think a film like The Homesman is the right way to go. It's not Django, that much is clear, but Tommy Lee Jones shows that he has a sense for characters, as well as for a story that, despite its slow pace, remains engaging. As a director and screenwriter, he's good, but as an actor, he showcases his best abilities, rivaled only by the captivating Hilary Swank in this film. She's so masculine and ugly that she's simply beautiful. An amazing actress.
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