Love on the Frontier

Slow West

I know that I have mentioned this before, but I think it is worth mentioning again. The western genre is a dying film genre and I have no idea why. I am not sure if people are just not as fascinated with the western as folks used to be, but I am really sad that the western is not as popular. I think I am a little biased due to my upbringing, my father subjected me to a great deal of Spaghetti Westerns and enough John Wayne westerns to get a good idea of what a true hero should be. So when I heard of a modern western, not directed by Quentin Tarantino, I got pretty excited. A24 Films gives us Slow West.

Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee The Road) is a young Scottish man making his way through the American West looking for his lost love Rose (Caren Pistorius The Most Fun You Can Have Dying). Along his journey Jay meets Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender X-Men: Days of Future Past), a rough neck traveler that convinces Jay that he needs a chaperone through the hostile terrain. What Jay doesn’t realize is that Silas and a few others are also looking for Rose and he happens to be their unknowing guide to her.

Slow West was a simple, yet great, story that was more about character. The film is supposed to be about Jay and his world lessons, but I think that the story is more about redemption for Silas. Setting the awesome performances and the wonderful direction aside, I was just a little disappointed of the films length of 84 minutes. I thought that the writer/director could have brought out a lot more of the main characters, like Silas and Rose.

With that last statement said I still think that the characters were done really well. I have heard other critics rip into Smit-McPhee for being too whiny, but I have to contradict this notion for the fact of who his character is. Jay is a ‘noble born’ kid from Scotland probably never been out on his own like this. Smit-Phee plays Jay’s naivety very well and does a great job of getting the audience to worry about his safety. Now I know that I have said that I have a man crush on Tom Hardy, but I think he is in a tie with Michael Fassbender. Fassbender is a harsh and sometimes unforgiving character in this film. He is able to make Silas a sympathetic character even amidst Silas’ hidden agenda. Fassbender is so good at creating memorable characters, good or bad.

John Maclean is a first time director, which surprises me since Maclean is able to bring out the most of his high caliber cast. Maclean also seemed to have a great love for the western as well, since he does an amazing job capturing the beautiful landscape with great shots. Maclean never takes the film too serious either. Sprinkled with a desolate look at the American frontier in the second half of the 18^th century, He also puts some humor in Jay’s excursion with a few pokes at Jay and people of the time.

Western fans rejoice as there is another worthy western of the 21^st century. Fassbender and Smit-McPhee are great and Maclean produces a stunning look at the American West and love itself. Slow West is another hidden gem this summer that should be given a chance.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time.