+ Best Western of the Year
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| The rough and weary French poster for Tommy Lee Jones' The Homesman |
In the middle of the 19th century in Nebraska territory, a small community is stuck with three women who far different reasons have lost their minds and need to go away, before tragedy ruins their homes forever. A strong, religious maiden sets out for the long voyage and soon partners up with an aging, cynical renegade.
The Homesman is an adaptation of a 1988 novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout (The Shootist (1975)). It is the 4th film directed by great American actor/filmmaker Tommy Lee Jones (The Good Old Boys (1995), TV movie), who also stars in the film in the lead alongside Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry (1999)). It is nice to see her in a fleshy, good part becoming of her sizable talent here finally again, and together the two lead an ensemble as great as probably any director today could wish to work with:
John Lithgow (Obsession (1976)), James Spader (Secretary (2002)) and Tim Blake Nelson (Lincoln (2012)) play men with each their faults. Hailee Steinfeld (Begin Again (2013)) plays a small role that seems like a respectful hat-tip to her fine performance in the great True Grit (2010). Meryl Streep (The Hours (2002)) and fine character actors complete the cast.
The film offers a stark look at living conditions in the Midwest in the period: it has not a single frame of glamor or traditional western macho warmth. - And that is refreshing. It also refuses to be a suspense-picture; refuses to saw off some of its detours and knots to be a 'straighter' picture, and instead offers serious representations of its issues of insanity and survival in the rugged American country of yore. It moves along as an episodic yarn very much following the mind of its rugged filmmaker. Jones also injects moments of brevity that are testament to his humorous affinities.
Homesman opens with some marvelous landscape images, accompanied by Marco Beltrami's (The Hurt Locker (2008)) phenomenal score, which seems to manage to direct our very souls into the film like so many harps in very little time.
The Homesman serves food for thought and for discussion. - Why did that happen? - Is that right? And so on. It isn't neat nor readily digested. SPOILER Its ending becomes nearly mythological, as Jones is carried off in sorrow and devil-may-care attitude on a raft. I loved the ending. It was as if I had been on a journey with Jones for the film's 2 hours, and now he sailed onwards, singing and doing his jig to mark the parting. Jones is cinema's most endearing geezer in The Homesman.
Related posts:
Tommy Lee Jones: 2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Men in Black 3 (2012) - Third MiB-chapter entertains the suits and shades off of everyone! (actor)
Hope Springs (2012) - Making an old marriage work, peppered with Streep at her best and top-grade talent all-around (actor)
Watch the film's great trailer here
Box office: 2.6 mil. $ (and counting)
= So far a huge flop
[The Homesman's prospects look exceedingly glum at the moment, since it has already enjoyed a limited American run in November-December, unless it makes a wider release soon. It has competed in Cannes and been shown in Telluride and at The AFI Film Festival. It has already been released in most markets and probably simply got out at the densest period at the American movie year and didn't make the commercial cut. It needs all the admissions it can get right now, so don't miss it.]
What do you think of The Homesman?
Other fine westerns about women in the West and/or insanity?
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