Posted by Gunther Gloop on 03/11/06 23:34

I ordered The Proposition from ezydvd and it arrived in a few days.

Watched it this evening. It's definitely the best/most realistic "western"
since Unforgiven.
(No spoilers)...

For anyone interested in a good story, well-told that is unafraid to show
the gruesome shittiness of life in untamed 1880s Australia, this is for you.

I generally don't go for too much violence in movies, but although this
movie is more violent than most, it is realistic and unrewarding and
non-stylised violence that perfectly suits the grime and the grit of the
characters and the setting.

All characters too are well-defined and developed. Acting is top-notch.
Since seeing him in The Constant Gardener, I've been convinced that Danny
Huston is gonna be a well-known actor/star. He's a big man anyway, but he
can amply fill the screen and hold the viewer's attention with just his
screen presence alone. The guy has charisma -and not the kind that passes
for charisma these days -the old-fashioned kind -like from back when leading
men didn't have to be washboard jocks.

I'd have loved if the story started a few years 'earlier' than it did.
If/when you see it (if you haven't already) you'll know what I mean. A
little more backstory would have fleshed it all out that bit more and given
it some added depth -as well as adding a little more Sergio Leone/Once Upon
A Time...type flavour.

What _is_ there is excellent though. I'd guess budget-constraints were
responsible for not showing the three brothers at the beginning of their
journey. Pity.

But a top-notch western nonetheless, comparable to Unforgiven and to nothing
else.

-Kevin.

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