GwydionMW
If people in the Wild West had killed each other at the rate shown in this film, it would still be wilderness.Appeals to those who think extreme violence is normal.The reality is that most people cooperate in a harsh environment. Violence was mostly personal. Criminals were rare.
Tehmeh
I like my movies simple. I like melodrama, high emotional stakes, simple revenge-fueled story lines and effective characters I can care about. But sometimes there is room for different kinds of approach, even for simple bastards like me. "Slow West" is a different one, and although it wasn't tight enough to drive home the numerous points it (probably) tried to make, I was invested in an almost passive way."Slow West" is a bit of a mess for me. In its core there is a story of desperate, naive love. It's quite innocent and it's something we've all been through. It's about a fantasy, not about pragmatic reality, and fantasies rarely have happy endings. On the other hand, this story is surrounded by bits and pieces of commentary, some about the violent invasion of the New World, some about the darkness of man's soul and other philosophical matters.Now these things aren't bad in themselves, but they seem to be scattered around without any tight emotional connection to anything else that's happening. They are mainly introduced by our protagonists running into strangers who have stories to tell, and sometimes emphasized by voice-over narration. It feels forced and this movie suffers from it. If there is an emotional payoff, the movie just wants to quickly get it over with, or convey it in a manner that doesn't really do much. In other words, this film throws things at you, at it's sometimes clumsy about it.However, there is something honest about this film. In all its weirdness and scattered narrative, it still manages enough. Director/writer John MacLean just probably didn't have the means or experience to fully deliver what he intended. It doesn't feel pretentious, it just feels a little off and perhaps a bit rushed. It still feels somewhat innocent, much like Kodi Smit-McPhee's character. I might be wrong, but at the moment I think this movie has a good heart somewhere under the clutter.Actors are fine, and nobody overacts. Perhaps most of them underact, but that's likely on purpose. Nobody steals the show, this isn't a movie where performances are emphasized but everyone does their job. Smit-McPhee is good as the naive boy chasing his dream, Fassbender's mere presence is enough and the same can be said about Ben Mendelsohn. Rory McCann was a pleasure to see, he makes everything better, including this movie. Caren Pistorius is fine with the little she has.Cinematography has some personal touches. It's not the grand spectacle of scenery and wide colourful shots some westerns can be known of, even though some of that can be found here too, but it feels a little more intimate. It's nice to look at, although not overly impressive.Transitions and editing seems to be a little hit or miss. Things don't flow in the way I'd like them to, and some emotional impact is often lost. At times it works really well, so it's hard to come to a conclusion. Music too. I do like the way how the simple main theme is almost always present and travels with us, but at times it comes across as meaningless.In the end, this is a hard movie to review, but I kind of liked it. The actors were good, there is a lovely innocent story plus a plethora of themes that don't quite connect. It's not quite an art-house movie, but for fans of traditional westerns it might as well be one. If you're looking for a tight story, engaging action, powerful characters and a rewarding ending where everything is resolved just the way you'd want, this is not the movie you want to watch. But if you're in that certain weird mood where you find yourself pondering about various things, you might like this. "Slow West" is a movie that probably has a lot to say, but doesn't always know how - or when - to say it. These movies have their place too.
christian-larson
Slow West stars Kodi Smith-McPhee and Michael Fassbender and its the story of Jay, and how he tries to reunite with his loved one Rose, and Silas tags along his journey. Slow West is a very unique and weird film, but it is pretty great. The acting was pretty great, the characters are well written and they are pretty memorable. The cinematography was fantastic and it gave a lot of style to the film. The action sequences, although there is only a few, are well filmed and this is where the direction really shines. The director knows what to show and what not to show, and what shows is stellar. The score it pretty great and it complements the film excellently. The script is pretty good although it could be better. In the beginning there is some exposition and the ending is not believable. I honestly don't like the ending since it is very simple and very unrealistic. It leaves you hanging by a thread and it does not resolve things. The score it pretty great and it complements the film very excellently. The major themes throughout the film is well handled and it does not come off as heavy handed nor forced. The themes gave it a lot of substance to the film. This is probably one of the best modern westerns out there and I strongly advice you to see this one since it is that good. 8/10
Neil Welch
When Rose, the girl Jay loves, flees with her father from Scotland to America in the wake of a death for which they will be blamed, Jay follows in search of her. Hopelessly ill-equipped for his journey, he falls in with the hardened and cynical Silas who agrees to guide him. But there is a bounty on Rose's head, and Silas is a bounty hunter...This western is short, simple and leisurely. The entire cast, heading by Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jay and Michael Fassbender as Silas, is excellent. Filmed by a non-American crew on location in New Zealand and Scotland, and with an international cast portraying mostly immigrants, it has a peculiar feel for a western, with familiar tropes filtered through alien sensibilities. But that doesn't change the fact that it is a first rate movie from writer and first-time director John Maclean, which works on a number of levels - romance, buddy movie, shocker, with occasional laughs and an action finale. And everything works together.Recommended.
