THE PROPOSITION (full article at The Guardian Australia)

The second feature film written by the musician Nick Cave is a grisly, sweat-stained tale of outback violence and colonial oppression that has lost none of its power in the 16 years since its release. Directed by John Hillcoat, The Proposition is awash with striking scenery and ugly truths about Australia.

After a fierce gunfight, outlaw Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) and his brother Mike (Richard Wilson) are captured by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). Although both brothers are former members of the notorious Burns gang, Stanley’s real target is their sadistic older sibling Arthur (Danny Huston), who is wanted for the brutal murder of a local family.

With no lead on Arthur, Stanley turns to more “inventive” methods, offering Charlie a proposition. He will release Charlie, while Mike will hang in nine days for the crimes of the Burns gang. But both will be pardoned if Charlie can locate and kill Arthur. Mike is naive and not able to mentally comprehend their situation, so Charlie feels he has no choice but to protect his younger brother and accept Stanley’s deal.

Read the full article at The Guardian Australia:

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/08/the-proposition-nick-caves-savage-outback-western-reveals-ugly-truths-about-australia

IMDB: The Proposition

THE HATEFUL EIGHT (full review at The Reel Word)

Set not long after the end of the American Civil War, The Hateful Eight follows bounty hunter John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth (Kurt Russell) as he transports his profitable quarry, Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), to the town of Red Rock where she is due to be hanged. Along the way, they meet fellow bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L Jackson) and prospective sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), when they are Waylaid by an unforeseen blizzard. The quartet, plus their stagecoach driver O.B., seek refuge at Minnie's Haberdashery knowing that the inclement weather will force them to hole up for a few days. As the storm closes in, paranoia and suspicion prevail, and the bounty hunters and their fellow guests begin to understand that perhaps all is not as it seems.

Read the full article at The Reel Word:
http://www.thereelword.net/the-hateful-eight-review

IMDB: The Hateful Eight

OPEN RANGE (full review at The Reel Word)

Kevin Costner’s 2003 Western, Open Range, is hardly a ‘hidden gem’ in the conventional sense. It arrived with a sweeping grandness and a roster of great actors, at a time when Costner’s star was still bright and there was nothing he did that could slip under anyone’s radar. But despite its big names and warm reception, Open Range is a movie that seems to have fallen down behind the sofa and been forgotten. Perhaps due to the unfashionableness of the genre, perhaps due to Costner’s inexplicably waning appeal. Whatever the reason, Open Range is an absorbing, thrilling Western that is driven by robust characterisation and gritty action.
Read the full article at The Reel Word:
http://www.thereelword.net/hidden-gem-open-range/


IMDB: Open Range