FilmSnobReviews

Title: Slow West
MPAA Rating: R
Director: John Maclean
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Caren Pistorius
Runtime: 1 hr 24 mins

What It Is: When young Jay Cavendish (Smit- McPhee) tries to find his missing unrequited lover Rose (Pistorius) whom he’s followed from Scotland he has no idea she has a 2,000 bounty on her head, dead or alive (but really, just dead). Traversing the wild west all by himself he’s accosted by a drifter named Silas (Fassbender) who states that he’ll help Jay get where he’s going. in reality he is looking for that bounty, and he’s brought his former gang accidentally along with him. This gang leader simply named Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) is on his way to try and poach the bounty, and recruit Silas back into his gang. It’s a race to the finish, and who is going to get to Rose and her father first.

What We Think: Man what an interesting film. It’s Romeo and Juliet juxtaposed atop the Old West. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Michael Fassbender are not just goofy, they’re great as a drifter and a young man trying to find his love. Ben Mendelsohn feels a tad underutilized but is menacing as the gang leader headed towards the same bounty as oure heroes, There is never a sense of familiarity in John Maclean’s direction. There is howevera connection that you can feel between the two leads. Even a throwaway campfire scene speaks volumes. One thing I did not expect was how funny this film was. There’s a sort of artsy quirk you don’t often associate with the Western genre, but it’s prevelant here.

Our Grade: A, This is a film that must be seen. Devour this sharply funny black comedy anyway possible. Caren Pistorius will probably be getting more work in the future. If this is any indication our two leads chemistry the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse should feature some more great scene between these two (pending they have any).