SLOW WEST (Theatrical Release USA 2015)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 3.4|5.0 Starsììì

Slow West—sort of interesting—works like the title promises, a western that moves slowly. The story, thinly drawn, has little development and seriously needs a second and perhaps even third story running throughout to increase its value. The film limps along sans the masculinity necessary to pull a good movie for this genre. Unclear, without a solidly defined path, the movie relies on a script that appears to have a poor ‘handle’ on its genre and a director that did not understand this genre well enough to catch the challenge that launched it to its Boot Hill grave. It’s safe to say that the grave marker could easily read: ‘Slow and unsure, can bury a movie in heavy manure’.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

A young man travels from the continent to America to find the woman he loves.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director John Maclean for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Katherine Butler, Michael Fassbender, and Zygi Kamasa for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Rose Ross (Caren Pistorius), Young Native Boy (Aorere Paki), Union Officer (Jeffrey Thomas), Young Soldier 1 (Hayden Frost), Young Soldier 2 (Kieran Charnock), Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender), Congolese Singer 1 (Joseph Passi), Congolese Singer 2 (Sam Manzanza), Congolese Singer 3 (Tawanda Manyimo), and Tattoo Man (David Lim).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Maybe. Better entertainment value for western fans lies in The Magnificent Seven remake or The Missing.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers